LIABILITY FOR LOSSES AND SETTLEMENT EXPENSES (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

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.

	Three months ended March 31,
($ in thousands)	2019			2018
Gross reserves at beginning of year	$	777,190		$	732,612
Re-valuation due to foreign currency exchange rates	(593		)	525
Less ceded reserves at beginning of year	36,595			30,923
Net reserves at beginning of year	741,188			701,164
Incurred losses and settlement expenses related to:
Current year	118,259			116,204
Prior years	(13,290		)	(5,576		)
Total incurred losses and settlement expenses	104,969			110,628
Paid losses and settlement expenses related to:
Current year	23,608			24,262
Prior years	76,412			81,877
Total paid losses and settlement expenses	100,020			106,139
Net reserves at end of period	746,137			705,653
Plus ceded reserves at end of period	34,927			30,549
Re-valuation due to foreign currency exchange rates	(671		)	853
Gross reserves at end of period	$	780,393		$	737,055