LIABILITY FOR LOSSES AND SETTLEMENT EXPENSES (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Liability for Future Policy Benefits and Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Abstract]

Schedule of reconciliation of beginning and ending reserves for losses and settlement expenses

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of beginning and ending reserves for losses and settlement expenses of the Company.  Amounts presented are on a net basis, with a reconciliation of beginning and ending reserves to the gross amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements.

	Nine months ended September 30,
($ in thousands)	2017			2016
Gross reserves at beginning of year	$	690,532		$	678,774
Re-valuation due to foreign currency exchange rates	(1,913		)	(2,475		)
Less ceded reserves at beginning of year	20,664			23,477
Net reserves at beginning of year	671,781			657,772
Incurred losses and settlement expenses related to:
Current year	340,706			325,211
Prior years	(17,617		)	(29,109		)
Total incurred losses and settlement expenses	323,089			296,102
Paid losses and settlement expenses related to:
Current year	120,053			112,283
Prior years	173,986			161,888
Total paid losses and settlement expenses	294,039			274,171
Net reserves at end of period	700,831			679,703
Plus ceded reserves at end of period	25,348			21,983
Re-valuation due to foreign currency exchange rates	282			(1,121		)
Gross reserves at end of period	$	726,461		$	700,565