Life insurance recoveries on ceded reinsurance contracts.

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- Definition

Reinsurance Recoverable, Unsecured

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The total amount of cash and securities held by third party trustees pursuant to terms of debt instruments or other agreements as of the date of each statement of financial position presented, which can be used by the trustee only to pay the noncurrent portion of specified obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(b))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

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- Definition

Amount of written premiums ceded to other entities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 17

-Article 12

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 605

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b),(c)(2)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

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- Definition

This item represents disclosure of all significant concentrations of credit risk or market risk arising from the subject financial instrument (as defined), whether from an individual counterparty or groups of counterparties.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Available-for-Sale Securities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505594

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Trading Securities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6526789

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 25

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28360136&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph a, f, g

-Article 7

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- Definition

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all liabilities that are recognized. Liabilities are probable future sacrifices of economic benefits arising from present obligations of an entity to transfer assets or provide services to other entities in the future.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19-26)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the estimated valuation allowance to reduce gross premiums receivable to net realizable value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=d3e5074-111524

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.5)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 5

-Article 7

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 4

-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-09)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e24092-122690

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 09

-Article 12

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- Definition

Amount of reduction of provision for policy benefits and costs incurred for policies ceded.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6480758&loc=d3e6811-158387

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount after valuation allowance recoverable including premium paid under reinsurance contracts. Examples include, but are not limited to, settled and unsettled claims, incurred but not reported losses, loss adjustment expense, premium paid, policy benefits and policy reserves.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 6

-Article 7

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6480758&loc=d3e6824-158387

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.(a),6)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

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- Definition

Percentage of total reinsurance recoverables.

+ References

No definition available.

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Reinsurance Level 4 Reinsurance Recoverables (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Liabilities	$ 182,484,000,000us-gaap_Liabilities	$ 194,476,000,000us-gaap_Liabilities
Life Insurance Recoveries on Ceded Reinsurance Contracts	845,000,000	915,000,000	302,000,000
Policyholder Benefits and Claims Incurred, Ceded	5,000,000	31,000,000		58,000,000
Reinsurance Recoverables	20,053,000,000us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables	19,794,000,000us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables
Reinsurance Recoverable, Unsecured	1,400,000,000hlic_ReinsuranceRecoverableUnsecured
Premiums Receivable, Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	0
Group Life and Accident [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Ceded Premiums Written	85,000,000	71,000,000		94,000,000
Accident and Health Insurance Product Line [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Ceded Premiums Written	365,000,000	152,000,000		177,000,000
Retirement Plans and Individual Life Businesses [Member] \| Life and Annuity Insurance Product Line [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Recoverables	18,606,000,000	18,969,000,000
Retirement [Member] \| Mass Mutual [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Recoverables	8,600,000,000
Individual Life [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	15.00%
Individual Life [Member] \| Prudential [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Recoverables	10,000,000,000
Assets Held-in-trust	8,600,000,000
Mass Mutual [Member] \| Life and Annuity Insurance Product Line [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Recoverables		9,500,000,000
Retirement Plans [Member] \| Mass Mutual [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	9,000,000,000
Continuing Operations [Member] \| Life Annuity Accident and Health Insurance Product Line [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Recoverables	1,447,000,000	825,000,000
Investment Contracts [Member] \| Reported Value Measurement [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] \| JAPAN \| Hartford Life Insurance K.K. [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Liabilities	763,000,000	0
Reinsurance Recoverables [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Fair Value, Concentration of Risk, Investments	$ 0