Note 7 - Investments in Marketable Securities (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Available-for-sale Securities [Table Text Block]

	September 30, 2012				December 31, 2011
(in thousands)	Amortized Cost		Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Fair Value
Investments available for sale:
Marketable equity securities	$	30,176	$	98,000	$	30,176	$	85,051
Restricted investments available for sale:
Corporate debt securities		47,948		49,381		33,426		34,074
Commercial mortgage–backed securities		29,914		31,079		33,275		33,904
U.S. Treasury securities		20,407		20,877		7,778		8,070
State and municipal securities		7,234		7,690		7,270		7,577
	$	135,679	$	207,027	$	111,925	$	168,676

Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

	September 30, 2012						December 31, 2011
	Shares		Cost		Fair Value		Shares		Cost		Fair Value
NHI Common Stock		1,630,642	$	24,734	$	83,880		1,630,642	$	24,734	$	71,716

Investments Classified by Contractual Maturity Date [Table Text Block]

	September 30, 2012				December 31, 2011
(in thousands)	Cost		Fair Value		Cost		Fair Value
Maturities:
Within 1 year	$	9,704	$	9,802	$	5,280	$	5,298
1 to 5 years		61,393		63,606		44,923		45,734
6 to 10 years		34,006		35,215		21,993		22,768
Over 10 years		400		404		9,553		9,825
	$	105,503	$	109,027	$	81,749	$	83,625