Note 8. Share-based Compensation (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended					1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member	Jun. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member	Jun. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member	Dec. 31, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Jun. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Jun. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Restricted Stock	Jun. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Restricted Stock	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Restricted Stock	Jun. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Restricted Stock	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)	Jun. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)	Jun. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)	Dec. 31, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	Dec. 31, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	Mar. 31, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Modified Stock Options	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Performance Shares	Jun. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Performance Shares	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Performance Shares	Jun. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Performance Shares	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Performance Shares Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	Dec. 31, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Performance Shares Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Minimum	Jun. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Maximum	Jun. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member	Jun. 30, 2012 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member	Jun. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member	Jun. 30, 2012 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member	Dec. 31, 2012 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member	Jun. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Jun. 30, 2012 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Jun. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Jun. 30, 2012 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Jun. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Restricted Stock	Jun. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Minimum Employee Stock Option	Jun. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Maximum Employee Stock Option
Share-based compensation expense, Value	$ 370	$ 147	$ 491	$ 617		$ 77	$ 60	$ 90	$ 121	$ 14	$ 9	$ 27	$ 18	$ 279	$ 58	$ 378	$ 451					$ 0	$ 18	$ (5)	$ 27					$ 9	$ 8	$ 17	$ 16		$ 9	$ 8	$ 17	$ 16
Employee Service Share Based Compensation Tax Benefit From Compensation Expense	148	59	196	246																										3	3	6	6
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Terms of Award	Under the terms of IHC’s stock-based compensation plans, option exercise prices are more than or equal to the quoted market price of the shares at the date of grant; option terms range from five to ten years; and vesting periods are three years for employee options. The Company may also grant shares of restricted stock, share appreciation rights (“SARs”) and share-based performance awards. Restricted shares are valued at the quoted market price of the shares at the date of grant and have a three-year vesting period. Exercise prices of SARs are more than or equal to the quoted market price of IHC shares at the date of the grant and have three year vesting periods.																													Under the terms of the AMIC’s stock-based compensation plan, option exercise prices are equal to the quoted market price of the shares at the date of grant; option terms are ten years; and vesting periods range from three to four years. AMIC may also grant shares of restricted stock, stock appreciation rights and share-based performance awards. Restricted shares are valued at the quoted market price of the shares at the date of grant, and have a three year vesting period.
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Expiration Period																												5 years	10 years	10 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period						3 years				3 years				3 years							2 years																		3 years	3 years	4 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant	350,170		350,170
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Options Outstanding Number	693,836		693,836		693,836																192,500									222,285		222,285		227,285
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Plan Modification, Description and Terms																					In March 2013, 192,500 options outstanding were modified to extend the expiration term 5 years. The incremental cost of the modified awards was $618,000, which will be recognized over a new 2-year vesting period starting from the date of the modification.
Sharebased Compensation Arrangement By Sharebased Payment Award Options Outstanding Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term2	2 years 4 months 24 days																				5 years									3 years 3 months 11 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Plan Modification, Incremental Compensation Cost																					618
Employee Service Share Based Compensation Nonvested Awards Total Compensation Cost Not Yet Recognized Stock Options	528		528																											84		84
Employee Service Share-Based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not Yet Recognized, Period For Recognition 1						1 year 8 months 16 days				2 years 1 month 6 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period												7,425	7,425
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value												$ 11.66	$ 9.39
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Vested												37	16
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Share-based Awards Other than Options										155		155
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Non-Option Equity Instruments, Outstanding, Number														263,900		263,900		269,950
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Non-Option Equity Instruments, Granted																0	44,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Non-Option Equity Instruments, Exercised														6,050			0
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Equity Instruments Other Than Options Total Share Based Liabilities Paid														19		19						83	57	83	57
Deferred Compensation Share-based Arrangements, Liability, Current and Noncurrent																			$ 1,042	$ 683						$ 10	$ 97
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value																																					$ 4.04
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross																																13,334	0