Investments Aging of Unrealized Losses by Class (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012 security		Dec. 31, 2011 security
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	$ 17		$ 64
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	204		275
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	10,793		21,579
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Twelve Months or More, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	4	[1]	9	[1]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	414		2,631
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Less Than Twelve Months, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	13	[1]	17	[1]
U.S. government and agency securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0		21
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	177		90
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	10,277		16,915
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Twelve Months or More, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	0	[1]	1	[1]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0		1,627
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Less Than Twelve Months, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	4	[1]	2	[1]
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses			0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses			145
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value			3,924
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Twelve Months or More, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions			0	[1]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value			0
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Less Than Twelve Months, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions			3	[1]
Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	1		21
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0		0
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Twelve Months or More, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	1	[1]	4	[1]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	102		537
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Less Than Twelve Months, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	0	[1]	0	[1]
Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	1		42
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	177		235
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	10,277		20,839
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Twelve Months or More, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	1	[1]	5	[1]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	102		2,164
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Less Than Twelve Months, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	4	[1]	5	[1]
Common Stock [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	8		3
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	27		40
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	516		740
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Twelve Months or More, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	1	[1]	1	[1]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	48		9
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Less Than Twelve Months, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	9	[1]	12	[1]
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	8		19
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0		0
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Twelve Months or More, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	2	[1]	3	[1]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	264		458
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Less Than Twelve Months, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	0	[1]	0	[1]
Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	16		22
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	27		40
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	516		740
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Twelve Months or More, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	3	[1]	4	[1]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	$ 312		$ 467
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Less Than Twelve Months, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	9	[1]	12	[1]

[1] This amount represents the actual number of discrete securities, not the number of shares of those securities. The numbers are not presented in thousands.