FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Assets:
Beginning Balance	$ 871,122,000	$ 906,799,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	31,652,000	6,787,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Other Comprehensive Income	30,687,000	34,803,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings	(10,169,000)	(25,645,000)
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Other Comprehensive Income	(26,437,000)	(54,522,000)
Purchases	84,519,000	47,754,000
Sales	(58,107,000)	(84,647,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	40,943,000	37,414,000
Other	(4,166,000)	2,379,000
Ending Balance	960,044,000	871,122,000
Total Gains (losses) included in Earnings related to Instruments still held at the Reporting Date	20,678,000	(13,299,000)
Liabilities:
Beginning Balance	574,075,000	333,793,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	86,523,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings	(248,054,000)	(255,607,000)
Sales		(2,673,000)
Issuances	860,000	654,000
Settlements	20,147,000	13,306,000
Ending Balance	740,905,000	574,075,000
Total Gains (losses) included in Earnings related to Instruments still held at the Reporting Date	(173,824,000)	(249,757,000)
Transfers
Securities transferred into Level 3	67,700,000
Securities transferred out of Level 3	26,800,000
Total investments
Assets:
Beginning Balance	871,122,000	906,799,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	31,652,000	6,787,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Other Comprehensive Income	30,687,000	34,803,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings	(10,169,000)	(25,645,000)
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Other Comprehensive Income	(26,437,000)	(54,522,000)
Purchases	84,519,000	47,754,000
Sales	(58,107,000)	(84,647,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	40,943,000	37,414,000
Other	(4,166,000)	2,379,000
Ending Balance	960,044,000	871,122,000
Total Gains (losses) included in Earnings related to Instruments still held at the Reporting Date	20,678,000	(13,299,000)
Fixed maturities
Assets:
Beginning Balance	777,833,000	804,636,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	4,897,000	6,738,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Other Comprehensive Income	29,861,000	34,248,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings	(2,310,000)	(13,283,000)
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Other Comprehensive Income	(25,340,000)	(53,472,000)
Purchases	84,515,000	43,792,000
Sales	(53,812,000)	(84,598,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	40,943,000	37,393,000
Other	2,448,000	2,379,000
Ending Balance	859,035,000	777,833,000
Total Gains (losses) included in Earnings related to Instruments still held at the Reporting Date	1,790,000	(937,000)
Fixed maturities | Available-for-sale securities
Assets:
Beginning Balance	749,490,000	741,269,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	809,000	4,527,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Other Comprehensive Income	29,861,000	34,248,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings	(4,000)	(8,665,000)
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Other Comprehensive Income	(25,340,000)	(53,472,000)
Purchases	36,259,000	40,000,000
Sales	(43,916,000)	(3,667,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	40,831,000	(4,648,000)
Other	395,000	(102,000)
Ending Balance	788,385,000	749,490,000
Fixed maturities | Trading Securities
Assets:
Beginning Balance	28,343,000	63,367,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	4,088,000	2,211,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings	(2,306,000)	(4,618,000)
Purchases	48,256,000	3,792,000
Sales	(9,896,000)	(80,931,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	112,000	42,041,000
Other	2,053,000	2,481,000
Ending Balance	70,650,000	28,343,000
Total Gains (losses) included in Earnings related to Instruments still held at the Reporting Date	1,790,000	(937,000)
Residential mortgage-backed securities | Available-for-sale securities
Assets:
Beginning Balance	7,000	20,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Other Comprehensive Income		12,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings		(4,000)
Sales	(3,000)	(12,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		(9,000)
Ending Balance	4,000	7,000
Commercial mortgage-backed securities | Available-for-sale securities
Assets:
Beginning Balance		19,901,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Other Comprehensive Income		147,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Other Comprehensive Income		(719,000)
Sales		(103,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		(19,224,000)
Other		(2,000)
Other asset-backed securities | Available-for-sale securities
Assets:
Beginning Balance	614,813,000	641,129,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	339,000	4,527,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Other Comprehensive Income	21,780,000	28,873,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings		(8,661,000)
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Other Comprehensive Income	(22,587,000)	(50,941,000)
Sales	(19,050,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	771,000
Other	77,000	(114,000)
Ending Balance	596,143,000	614,813,000
Other asset-backed securities | Trading Securities
Assets:
Beginning Balance	28,343,000	59,925,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	4,086,000	1,213,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings	(2,306,000)	(2,689,000)
Purchases	48,255,000	3,792,000
Sales	(9,896,000)	(40,292,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		4,002,000
Other	2,053,000	2,392,000
Ending Balance	70,535,000	28,343,000
Total Gains (losses) included in Earnings related to Instruments still held at the Reporting Date	1,780,000	(937,000)
U.S. government-related securities. | Available-for-sale securities
Assets:
Beginning Balance	15,000,000	15,109,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Other Comprehensive Income	(2,000)	(122,000)
Sales	(15,000,000)
Other	2,000	13,000
Ending Balance		15,000,000
U.S. government-related securities. | Trading Securities
Assets:
Beginning Balance		3,442,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings		387,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings		(476,000)
Sales		(3,347,000)
Other		(6,000)
States, municipals, and political subdivisions | Available-for-sale securities
Assets:
Beginning Balance	69,000	78,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Other Comprehensive Income	(1,000)	(1,000)
Purchases	4,275,000
Sales	(9,000)	(9,000)
Other	1,000	1,000
Ending Balance	4,335,000	69,000
Corporate bonds | Available-for-sale securities
Assets:
Beginning Balance	119,601,000	65,032,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	470,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Other Comprehensive Income	8,052,000	5,216,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings	(4,000)
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Other Comprehensive Income	(2,723,000)	(1,689,000)
Purchases	11,960,000	40,000,000
Sales	(9,854,000)	(3,543,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	40,060,000	14,585,000
Other	330,000
Ending Balance	167,892,000	119,601,000
Corporate bonds | Trading Securities
Assets:
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	2,000	611,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings		(1,453,000)
Purchases	1,000
Sales		(37,292,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	112,000	38,039,000
Other		95,000
Ending Balance	115,000
Total Gains (losses) included in Earnings related to Instruments still held at the Reporting Date	10,000
Other government-related securities | Available-for-sale securities
Assets:
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Other Comprehensive Income	29,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Other Comprehensive Income	(27,000)
Purchases	20,024,000
Other	(15,000)
Ending Balance	20,011,000
Equity securities
Assets:
Beginning Balance	80,586,000	77,098,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	8,000	49,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Other Comprehensive Income	826,000	555,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Other Comprehensive Income	(1,097,000)	(1,050,000)
Purchases	4,000	3,962,000
Sales	(4,295,000)	(49,000)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		21,000
Other	(6,614,000)
Ending Balance	69,418,000	80,586,000
Other long-term investments
Assets:
Beginning Balance	12,703,000	25,065,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	26,747,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings	(7,859,000)	(12,362,000)
Ending Balance	31,591,000	12,703,000
Total Gains (losses) included in Earnings related to Instruments still held at the Reporting Date	18,888,000	(12,362,000)
Annuity account balances
Liabilities:
Beginning Balance	136,462,000	143,264,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings	12,293,000	(5,850,000)
Issuances	860,000	654,000
Settlements	20,147,000	13,306,000
Ending Balance	129,468,000	136,462,000
Other liabilities.
Liabilities:
Beginning Balance	437,613,000	190,529,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Earnings	86,523,000
Total Realized and Unrealized Losses Included in Earnings	(260,347,000)	(249,757,000)
Sales		(2,673,000)
Ending Balance	611,437,000	437,613,000
Total Gains (losses) included in Earnings related to Instruments still held at the Reporting Date	$ (173,824,000)	$ (249,757,000)