Note 7 - Investments in Marketable Securities (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2015

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

Available-for-sale Securities [Table Text Block]

	June 30, 2015				December 31, 2014
(in thousands)	Amortized Cost		Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Fair Value
Investments available for sale:
Marketable equity securities	$	30,176	$	117,906	$	30,176	$	132,535
Restricted investments available for sale:
Corporate debt securities		73,180		72,895		68,594		68,916
Commercial mortgage–backed securities		54,700		54,516		63,351		63,252
U.S. Treasury securities		21,293		21,210		14,623		14,728
State and municipal securities		16,546		16,852		11,074		11,377
	$	195,895	$	283,379	$	187,818	$	290,808

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

	June 30, 2015						December 31, 2014
	Shares		Cost		Fair Value		Shares		Cost		Fair Value
NHI Common Stock		1,630,642	$	24,734	$	101,589		1,630,642	$	24,734	$	114,080

Investments Classified by Contractual Maturity Date [Table Text Block]

	June 30, 2015				December 31, 2014
(in thousands)	Cost		Fair Value		Cost		Fair Value
Maturities:
Within 1 year	$	14,507	$	14,551	$	11,161	$	11,190
1 to 5 years		77,956		78,605		83,542		84,028
6 to 10 years		70,985		70,113		58,863		58,872
Over 10 years		2,271		2,204		4,076		4,183
	$	165,719	$	165,473	$	157,642	$	158,273