Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans [Text Block] (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) shares	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) shares	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) shares
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant | shares	1,133,100		1,133,100
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit from Compensation Expense	$ 72	$ 91	$ 72	$ 271
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	181	230	$ 180	681
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Employee Stock Option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period			3 years
Proceeds from Stock Options Exercised				70
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Intrinsic Value				56
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit Realized from Exercise of Stock Options				12
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Not yet Recognized, Stock Options	335		$ 335
Employee Service Share-Based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not Yet Recognized, Period For Recognition 1			2 years 4 months 24 days
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Employee Stock Option | Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	$ 35	0	$ 69	170
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Employee Stock Option | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Expiration Period			10 years
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Non-Option Equity Instruments, Outstanding, Number | shares	64,900		64,900		71,500
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Non-Option Equity Instruments, Exercised | shares			6,600
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Share-based Liabilities Paid			$ 64
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) | Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	$ 119	209	53	467
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) | Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities
Deferred Compensation Share-based Arrangements, Liability, Current and Noncurrent	866		$ 866		$ 876
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Expiration Period			10 years
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period			3 years
Employee Service Share-Based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not Yet Recognized, Period For Recognition 1			2 years 1 month 6 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Fair Value			$ 94	120
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Share-based Awards Other than Options	177		177
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	$ 27	21	$ 58	$ 44
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Modified Stock Option Awards Member
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Plan Modification, Number of Employees Affected				13
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Plan Modification, Incremental Compensation Cost				$ 170
American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit from Compensation Expense		4		7
American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member | Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense		$ 7		14
American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member | Employee Stock Option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Intrinsic Value				212
Proceeds and Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation				$ 262