Organization, Consolidation, Basis of Presentation, Business Description and Accounting Policies [Text Block]	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Notes
Organization, Consolidation, Basis of Presentation, Business Description and Accounting Policies	`Note 1.` `Organization, Consolidation, Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies` `(A)` `Business and Organization` Independence Holding Company, a Delaware corporation (“IHC”), is a holding company principally engaged in the life and health insurance business through: (i) its insurance companies, Standard Security Life Insurance Company of New York ("Standard Security Life"), Madison National Life Insurance Company, Inc. ("Madison National Life"), and Independence American Insurance Company (“Independence American”); and (ii) its marketing and administrative companies, including IHC Specialty Benefits Inc., IHC Carrier Solutions, Inc. and a majority interest in PetPartners, Inc. IHC also owns a significant equity interest in Ebix Health Exchange Holdings, LLC (“Ebix Health Exchange”), an administration exchange for health insurance. Standard Security Life, Madison National Life and Independence American are sometimes collectively referred to as the “Insurance Group”. IHC and its subsidiaries (including the Insurance Group) are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Company", or “IHC”, or are implicit in the terms “we”, “us” and “our”. `Geneve Corporation, a diversified financial holding company, and its affiliated entities, held approximately 61% of IHC's outstanding common stock at September 30, 2017.` `(B)` `Consolidation` On August 31, 2016, IHC took AMIC Holdings, Inc. (“AMIC”) private by way of a statutory “short-form” merger. The company paid $18,141,000 for the remaining shares of AMIC common stock owned by noncontrolling interests and as a result, the Company now owns all of the outstanding common stock of AMIC. In connection with the transaction, $2,230,000 was charged to paid-in capital representing: (i) the difference between the fair value of the consideration paid for the shares and the carrying amount of noncontrolling interests; plus (ii) specific, direct costs of the transaction. `(C)` `Basis of Presentation` The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for interim financial statements and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X and, therefore, do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of IHC and its consolidated subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect: (i) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; and (ii) the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. IHC’s annual report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission should be read in conjunction with the accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring accruals) that are necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position and results of operations for the interim periods have been included. The condensed consolidated results of operations for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be anticipated for the entire year. In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the test for goodwill impairment by eliminating Step 2 in the goodwill impairment test. Instead, under the amendments in this Update, an entity should perform its annual or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. Additionally, an entity should consider income tax effects from any tax-deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, if applicable. The amendments in this guidance are effective for public business entities for annual, or any interim, goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The adoption of this In January 2016, the FASB issued guidance that eliminates the requirement to classify equity securities with readily determinable fair values as trading or available-for-sale. The guidance requires equity securities, other than those that result in consolidation or are accounted for under the equity method, (including other ownership interests, such as partnerships, unincorporated joint ventures, and limited liability companies) to be measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through net income, simplifies the impairment assessment of equity securities without readily determinable fair values and requires changes in disclosure requirements. For public entities, the amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted in certain circumstances. The amendments in this Update should be applied by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The amendments related to equity securities without readily determinable fair values (including disclosure requirements) should be applied prospectively to equity investments that exist as of the date of adoption of the guidance. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet or IHC’s stockholders’ equity. In May 2014, the FASB issued revenue recognition guidance for entities that either enter into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enter into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards such as insurance contracts or lease contracts. The amendment provides specific steps that an entity should apply in order to achieve its main objective which is recognizing revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In 2016, additional guidance and technical corrections were issued to clarify certain aspects of the implementation guidance and to clarify the identification of performance obligations. In August 2015, the effective date of this guidance has been deferred. For public entities, this guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, and requires one of two specified retrospective methods of application. Earlier application is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. The Company anticipates that any impact will only relate to contracts with customers outside the scope of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 944, Financial Services - Insurance. Our administrative and other service contracts that will be subject to the amendments in this Update are recorded in the Fee Income line item of the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income and represent approximately 5% of our consolidated revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2017. The guidance will be applied retrospectively with a cumulative effect adjustment on the date of initial application. Management is still in the process of evaluating the impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and does not anticipate any significant changes in internal controls over financial reporting as a result of its implementation.

Organization, Consolidation, Basis of Presentation, Business Description and Accounting Policies [Text Block]

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Organization, Consolidation, Basis of Presentation, Business Description and Accounting Policies

Note 1. Organization, Consolidation, Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies

(A) Business and Organization

Independence Holding Company, a Delaware corporation (“IHC”), is a holding company principally engaged in the life and health insurance business through: (i) its insurance companies, Standard Security Life Insurance Company of New York ("Standard Security Life"), Madison National Life Insurance Company, Inc. ("Madison National Life"), and Independence American Insurance Company (“Independence American”); and (ii) its marketing and administrative companies, including IHC Specialty Benefits Inc., IHC Carrier Solutions, Inc. and a majority interest in PetPartners, Inc. IHC also owns a significant equity interest in Ebix Health Exchange Holdings, LLC (“Ebix Health Exchange”), an administration exchange for health insurance. Standard Security Life, Madison National Life and Independence American are sometimes collectively referred to as the “Insurance Group”. IHC and its subsidiaries (including the Insurance Group) are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Company", or “IHC”, or are implicit in the terms “we”, “us” and “our”.

Geneve Corporation, a diversified financial holding company, and its affiliated entities, held approximately 61% of IHC's outstanding common stock at September 30, 2017.

(B) Consolidation

On August 31, 2016, IHC took AMIC Holdings, Inc. (“AMIC”) private by way of a statutory “short-form” merger. The company paid $18,141,000 for the remaining shares of AMIC common stock owned by noncontrolling interests and as a result, the Company now owns all of the outstanding common stock of AMIC. In connection with the transaction, $2,230,000 was charged to paid-in capital representing: (i) the difference between the fair value of the consideration paid for the shares and the carrying amount of noncontrolling interests; plus (ii) specific, direct costs of the transaction.

(C) Basis of Presentation

The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for interim financial statements and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X and, therefore, do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of IHC and its consolidated subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect: (i) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; and (ii) the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. IHC’s annual report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission should be read in conjunction with the accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring accruals) that are necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position and results of operations for the interim periods have been included. The condensed consolidated results of operations for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be anticipated for the entire year.

In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the test for goodwill impairment by eliminating Step 2 in the goodwill impairment test. Instead, under the amendments in this Update, an entity should perform its annual or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. Additionally, an entity should consider income tax effects from any tax-deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, if applicable. The amendments in this guidance are effective for public business entities for annual, or any interim, goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The adoption of this In January 2016, the FASB issued guidance that eliminates the requirement to classify equity securities with readily determinable fair values as trading or available-for-sale. The guidance requires equity securities, other than those that result in consolidation or are accounted for under the equity method, (including other ownership interests, such as partnerships, unincorporated joint ventures, and limited liability companies) to be measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through net income, simplifies the impairment

assessment of equity securities without readily determinable fair values and requires changes in disclosure requirements. For public entities, the amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted in certain circumstances. The amendments in this Update should be applied by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The amendments related to equity securities without readily determinable fair values (including disclosure requirements) should be applied prospectively to equity investments that exist as of the date of adoption of the guidance. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet or IHC’s stockholders’ equity.

In May 2014, the FASB issued revenue recognition guidance for entities that either enter into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enter into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards such as insurance contracts or lease contracts. The amendment provides specific steps that an entity should apply in order to achieve its main objective which is recognizing revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In 2016, additional guidance and technical corrections were issued to clarify certain aspects of the implementation guidance and to clarify the identification of performance obligations. In August 2015, the effective date of this guidance has been deferred. For public entities, this guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, and requires one of two specified retrospective methods of application. Earlier application is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. The Company anticipates that any impact will only relate to contracts with customers outside the scope of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 944, Financial Services - Insurance. Our administrative and other service contracts that will be subject to the amendments in this Update are recorded in the Fee Income line item of the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income and represent approximately 5% of our consolidated revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2017. The guidance will be applied retrospectively with a cumulative effect adjustment on the date of initial application. Management is still in the process of evaluating the impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and does not anticipate any significant changes in internal controls over financial reporting as a result of its implementation.