INVESTMENT OPERATIONS (Details 4) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		8 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) position	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) position	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months							$ 30,073,730
Total							30,073,730
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months							(2,271,077)
Total							$ (2,271,077)
Total positions that were in an unrealized loss position | position		2,914		2,914
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		$ 33,820,196		$ 33,820,196
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		36,039,850		36,039,850
Below investment grade
Unrealized Loss
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		1,500,000		1,500,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		1,600,000		1,600,000
Securities in trading portfolio		302,100		302,100
Securities Not publicly traded		974,300		974,300
Fixed maturities
Unrealized Loss
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		32,928,888		32,928,888
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		35,140,616		35,140,616
Securities in trading portfolio		2,700,000		2,700,000
Change in unrealized gains (losses), net of income tax		(54,282)		(1,437,623)
Residential mortgage-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		884,032		884,032
Total		884,032		884,032
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(14,565)		(14,565)
Total		(14,565)		(14,565)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		1,615,822		1,615,822
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		1,617,048		1,617,048
Commercial mortgage-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		1,104,282		1,104,282
Total		1,104,282		1,104,282
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(18,970)		(18,970)
Total		(18,970)		(18,970)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		1,277,663		1,277,663
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		1,294,633		1,294,633
Other asset-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		704,678		704,678
Total		704,678		704,678
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(23,743)		(23,743)
Total		(23,743)		(23,743)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		793,014		793,014
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		815,437		815,437
U.S. government-related securities.
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		1,359,161		1,359,161
Total		1,359,161		1,359,161
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(15,543)		(15,543)
Total		(15,543)		(15,543)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		1,617,472		1,617,472
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		1,631,826		1,631,826
Other government-related securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		18,884		18,884
Total		18,884		18,884
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(476)		(476)
Total		(476)		(476)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		18,884		18,884
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		19,360		19,360
States, municipals, and political subdivisions
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		1,567,309		1,567,309
Total		1,567,309		1,567,309
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(119,823)		(119,823)
Total		(119,823)		(119,823)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		1,613,485		1,613,485
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		1,732,549		1,732,549
Corporate securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		23,924,900		23,924,900
Total		23,924,900		23,924,900
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(2,064,946)		(2,064,946)
Total		(2,064,946)		(2,064,946)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		25,930,436		25,930,436
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		27,965,401		27,965,401
Preferred stock
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		62,112		62,112
Total		62,112		62,112
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(2,250)		(2,250)
Total		(2,250)		(2,250)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		62,112		62,112
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		64,362		64,362
Equity securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		448,372		448,372
Total		448,372		448,372
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(10,761)		(10,761)
Total		(10,761)		(10,761)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		717,824		717,824
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		725,750		725,750
Securities in trading portfolio		6,700		6,700
Change in unrealized gains (losses), net of income tax		$ 2,385		$ (5,152)
Predecessor
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months						$ 2,235,384
12 Months or More						1,905,163
Total						4,140,547
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months						(96,929)
12 Months or More						(116,589)
Total						(213,518)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value						34,894,415
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost						31,832,181
Predecessor | Fixed maturities
Unrealized Loss
Available-for-sale securities, fair value						33,957,169
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost						30,919,422
Securities in trading portfolio						2,800,000
Change in unrealized gains (losses), net of income tax	$ 670,229		$ (143,367)		$ 1,004,990
Predecessor | Residential mortgage-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months						166,271
12 Months or More						67,280
Total						233,551
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months						(9,562)
12 Months or More						(2,716)
Total						(12,278)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value						1,418,258
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost						1,374,206
Predecessor | Commercial mortgage-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months						49,909
12 Months or More						102,529
Total						152,438
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months						(334)
12 Months or More						(2,030)
Total						(2,364)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value						1,177,252
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost						1,119,979
Predecessor | Other asset-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months						108,666
12 Months or More						537,486
Total						646,152
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months						(6,473)
12 Months or More						(29,477)
Total						$ (35,950)
Percentage of underlying collateral of student-loan backed auction rate securities guaranteed by the Federal Family Education Loan Program ("FFELP"), minimum						97.00%
Available-for-sale securities, fair value						$ 839,376
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost						857,441
Predecessor | U.S. government-related securities.
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months						231,917
12 Months or More						280,803
Total						512,720
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months						(3,868)
12 Months or More						(5,414)
Total						(9,282)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value						1,428,895
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost						1,394,028
Predecessor | Other government-related securities
Unrealized Loss
Available-for-sale securities, fair value						20,172
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost						16,939
Predecessor | States, municipals, and political subdivisions
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months						1,904
12 Months or More						10,482
Total						12,386
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months						(134)
12 Months or More						(297)
Total						(431)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value						1,687,689
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost						1,391,526
Predecessor | Corporate securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months						1,659,287
12 Months or More						776,864
Total						2,436,151
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months						(76,341)
12 Months or More						(62,690)
Total						(139,031)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value						27,385,527
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost						24,765,303
Predecessor | Equity securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months						17,430
12 Months or More						129,719
Total						147,149
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months						(217)
12 Months or More						(13,965)
Total						(14,182)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value						781,746
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost						757,259
Securities in trading portfolio						$ 21,500
Change in unrealized gains (losses), net of income tax	$ 10,226		$ (2,184)		$ 30,820