Note 8 - Investments in Marketable Securities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Available-for-sale Securities [Table Text Block]

	December 31, 2012				December 31, 2011
(in thousands)	Amortized Cost		Fair Value		Amortized  Cost		Fair Value
Investments available for sale:
Marketable equity securities	$	30,176	$	107,250	$	30,176	$	85,051
Restricted investments available for sale:
Corporate debt securities		61,453		62,876		33,426		34,074
Commercial mortgage-backed securities		47,194		48,063		33,275		33,904
U.S. Treasury securities		16,218		16,604		7,778		8,070
State and municipal securities		7,213		7,664		7,270		7,577
	$	162,254	$	242,457	$	111,925	$	168,676

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

	December 31, 2012						December 31, 2011
	Shares		Cost		Fair Value		Shares		Cost		Fair Value
NHI Common Stock		1,630,642	$	24,734	$	92,180		1,630,642	$	24,734	$	71,716

Investments Classified by Contractual Maturity Date [Table Text Block]

	December 31, 2012				December 31, 2011
(in thousands)	Cost		Fair Value		Cost		Fair Value
Maturities:
Within 1 year	$	8,868	$	8,918	$	5,280	$	5,298
1 to 5 years		80,910		82,801		44,923		45,734
6 to 10 years		40,670		41,856		21,993		22,768
Over 10 years		1,630		1,632		9,553		9,825
	$	132,078	$	135,207	$	81,749	$	83,625