Note 8. Share-based Compensation (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member	Sep. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member	Sep. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member	Dec. 31, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Sep. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Sep. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Restricted Stock	Sep. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Restricted Stock	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Restricted Stock	Sep. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Restricted Stock	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)	Sep. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)	Sep. 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)	Sep. 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	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Performance Shares	Sep. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Performance Shares	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Performance Shares	Sep. 30, 2012 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Performance Shares	Sep. 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	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Minimum	Sep. 30, 2013 Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member Maximum	Sep. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member	Sep. 30, 2012 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member	Sep. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member	Sep. 30, 2012 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member	Dec. 31, 2012 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member	Sep. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Sep. 30, 2012 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Sep. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Sep. 30, 2012 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Employee Stock Option	Sep. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Restricted Stock	Sep. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Minimum Employee Stock Option	Sep. 30, 2013 American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member Maximum Employee Stock Option
Share-based compensation expense, Value	$ 436	$ 153	$ 926	$ 770		$ 53	$ 56	$ 143	$ 177	$ 19	$ 13	$ 47	$ 31	$ 363	$ 60	$ 741	$ 511					$ 0	$ 24	$ (5)	$ 51					$ 13	$ 8	$ 30	$ 24		$ 13	$ 8	$ 30	$ 24
Employee Service Share Based Compensation Tax Benefit From Compensation Expense	174	61	369	307																										4	3	10	9
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	380,970		380,970
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Intrinsic Value			228
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Plan Modification, Description and Terms																					In March 2013, 192,500 share options held by 5 employees 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.
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Options Outstanding Number	620,158		620,158		693,836																192,500									222,285		222,285		227,285
Sharebased Compensation Arrangement By Sharebased Payment Award Options Outstanding Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term2	2 years 1 month 6 days																				5 years									3 years 7 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	386		386																											72		72
Employee Service Share-Based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not Yet Recognized, Period For Recognition 1						1 year 5 months 16 days				2 years
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												69	40
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Share-based Awards Other than Options										136		136
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Non-Option Equity Instruments, Outstanding, Number														251,800		251,800		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																14,850	0
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Equity Instruments Other Than Options Total Share Based Liabilities Paid														74		74						83	57	83	57
Deferred Compensation Share-based Arrangements, Liability, Current and Noncurrent																			$ 1,350	$ 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