Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans [Text Block] (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Payments Related to Tax Withholding for Share-based Compensation	$ 1,659	$ 0	$ 0
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant | shares	859,300
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense, Net of Tax	$ 478	420	94
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit from Compensation Expense	$ 316	$ 279	$ 63
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Employee Stock Option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value | $ / shares	$ 8.66	$ 2.65
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross | shares	199,000		0
Proceeds from Stock Options Exercised	$ 0	$ 399	$ 278
Payments Related to Tax Withholding for Share-based Compensation	1,659
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Intrinsic Value	3,535	416	132
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit Realized from Exercise of Stock Options	834	$ 104	$ 22
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Not yet Recognized, Stock Options	$ 1,904
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 | 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
Independence Holding Company Share Based Plans Total Member | Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Employee Service Share-Based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not Yet Recognized, Period For Recognition 1	2 years 2 months 12 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period | shares	9,900	9,900	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 | $ / shares	$ 28.20	$ 19.15	$ 11.78
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Fair Value	$ 187	$ 120	$ 89
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Share-based Awards Other than Options	$ 398
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	71,500
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Non-Option Equity Instruments, Granted | shares	64,900
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Non-Option Equity Instruments, Exercised | shares	71,500	54,350	11,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Share-based Liabilities Paid	$ 1,309	$ 449	$ 61
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	$ 22	876
American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense, Net of Tax		14	28
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit from Compensation Expense		7	15
American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member | Employee Stock Option
Proceeds from Stock Options Exercised		262	52
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Intrinsic Value		$ 212	$ 37
American Independence Corp Share Based Plans Total Member | Cancelled Stock Option Awards Member
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Plan Modification, Number of Employees Affected		7
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Plan Modification, Incremental Compensation Cost		$ 646