INVESTMENT OPERATIONS (Details 3) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Investment operations
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded	$ 6,635,000	$ 1,676,000	$ 9,764,000	$ 49,766,000
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded in earnings	8,681,000	8,556,000	17,265,000	40,928,000
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded in other comprehensive income (loss)	(2,046,000)	(6,880,000)	(7,501,000)	8,838,000
Additional non-credit losses		100,000
Fixed income securities
Investment operations
Other-than-temporary impairments related to fixed maturities or equity securities that the Company intended to sell or expected to be required to sell	0	100,000	0	100,000
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded	5,400,000	1,600,000	6,400,000	49,700,000
Credit losses on fixed maturities
Beginning balance	51,832,000	101,470,000	122,121,000	69,719,000
Additions for newly impaired securities	1,663,000		3,278,000	19,473,000
Additions for previously impaired securities	4,840,000	6,923,000	7,894,000	19,201,000
Reductions for previously impaired securities due to a change in expected cash flows	(6,537,000)		(74,007,000)
Reductions for previously impaired securities that were sold in the current period			(7,488,000)
Ending balance	51,798,000	108,393,000	51,798,000	108,393,000
Equity securities
Investment operations
Other-than-temporary impairments related to fixed maturities or equity securities that the Company intended to sell or expected to be required to sell	0	100,000	0	100,000
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded	$ 1,300,000	$ 0	$ 3,400,000	$ 0