Fair Value Measurements Level 4 Fair Value Option (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value, Option, Changes in Fair Value, Gain (Loss)	$ (31)	$ (12)	$ 32
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets Accounted for Using Fair Value Option	0	4
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets Accounted for Using Fair Value Option	0	31
Fair Value, Option, Changes in Fair Value, Gain (Loss)	0	(3)	(3)
Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets Accounted for Using Fair Value Option	0	1
Fair Value, Option, Changes in Fair Value, Gain (Loss)	0	1	21
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets Accounted for Using Fair Value Option	0	6
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets Accounted for Using Fair Value Option	0	1
Fair Value, Option, Changes in Fair Value, Gain (Loss)	0	2	16
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets Accounted for Using Fair Value Option	82	119
Fair Value, Option, Changes in Fair Value, Gain (Loss)	3	0	0
Fixed Maturities [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value, Option, Changes in Fair Value, Gain (Loss)	3	0	34
US Treasury and Government [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets Accounted for Using Fair Value Option	0	3
Equity Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets Accounted for Using Fair Value Option	0	281
Fair Value, Option, Changes in Fair Value, Gain (Loss)	(34)	(12)	$ (2)
Fixed Maturities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member] \| Available-for-sale Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value	$ 82	$ 165

Fair value of assets accounted for using fair value option.

No definition available.

Name:	hlic_FairValueOfAssetsAccountedForUsingFairValueOption
Namespace Prefix:	hlic_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For each line item in the statement of financial position, the amounts of gains and losses from fair value changes included in earnings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 30
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957238&loc=d3e14172-108612

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueOptionChangesInFairValueGainLoss1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueOptionQuantitativeDisclosuresLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This item represents the reported amount of the entity's investments measured at fair value. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an investment in an orderly transaction between market participants at the balance sheet [measurement] date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 946
-SubTopic 320
-Section S99
-Paragraph 7
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-15)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=50485924&loc=d3e611379-123010

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SummaryOfInvestmentsOtherThanInvestmentsInRelatedPartiesFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_AssetBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CollateralizedDebtObligationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ForeignGovernmentDebtSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_FixedMaturitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_USTreasuryAndGovernmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_FixedMaturitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByAssetClassAxis=us-gaap_FixedMaturitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: