DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011	Feb. 28, 2011 Star/Edison Sale	Sep. 30, 2010 Star/Edison Sale	Jan. 31, 2011 Nan Shan	Mar. 31, 2011 Nan Shan	Mar. 31, 2011 Discontinued operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations
Consideration in cash				$ 4,800,000,000
Amount of debt assumed by purchaser as part of total consideration received				600,000,000
Pre-tax gain (loss) reflected in Income (loss) from discontinued operations in the Income Statement			3,500,000,000			305,000,000	3,028,000,000
Voting interest (as a percent)					97.57%
Revenues:
Premiums	9,461,000,000	9,482,000,000					2,549,000,000
Net investment income	7,105,000,000	5,569,000,000					712,000,000
Net realized capital gains (losses)	(303,000,000)	(648,000,000)					369,000,000
Other income	333,000,000	1,196,000,000					5,000,000
Total revenues	18,443,000,000	17,439,000,000					3,635,000,000
Benefits, claims and expenses	13,859,000,000	18,749,000,000					3,095,000,000
Interest expense allocation	953,000,000	1,061,000,000					2,000,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations							538,000,000
Gain (loss) on sales			3,500,000,000			305,000,000	3,028,000,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, before tax expense (benefit)							3,566,000,000
Income tax expense (benefit)							981,000,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income tax	$ 13,000,000	$ 2,585,000,000					$ 2,585,000,000