Organization, Consolidation, Basis of Presentation, Business Description and Accounting Policies [Text Block]: Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block] (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Policies
Business Description and Basis of Presentation	`(A)` `Business and Organization` Independence Holding Company, a Delaware corporation (“IHC”), is a holding company principally engaged in underwriting, administering and/or distributing group and individual specialty benefit products, including disability, supplemental health, pet, and group life insurance 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., Independence Brokerage Group, Inc., My1HR, Inc. (“My1HR”), Torchlight Technology Group LLC (“Torchlight”) and a majority interest in PetPartners, Inc. (“PetPartners”), 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 financial holding company, and its affiliated entities, held approximately 62% of IHC's outstanding common stock at September 30, 2020.` `(B)` `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 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a global health pandemic and the United States declared a national health emergency. COVID-19 has led to largescale disruption in the global economy, market instability and widespread unemployment in the United States. The COVID-19 outbreak is a fluid situation and as it evolves, the duration of COVID-19 and its potential effects on our business cannot be certain. Regulatory mandates have affected, and we anticipate will continue to impact, the insurance industry. We currently cannot predict if there will be a material impact to our business, results of operations or financial condition in future reporting periods. Consequently, future changes in market conditions may impact estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements associated with evaluations of goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment, estimates associated with the determination of valuation allowances related to net operating loss carryforwards, and estimates of certain losses under insurance contracts. These estimates may all be subject to substantial adjustments in future periods. In addition, volatile market conditions may result in further declines in the fair value of our investment portfolio and possible impairments of certain securities. 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 nine months ended September 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be anticipated for the entire year.

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

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Policies

Business Description and Basis of Presentation

(A) Business and Organization

Independence Holding Company, a Delaware corporation (“IHC”), is a holding company principally engaged in underwriting, administering and/or distributing group and individual specialty benefit products, including disability, supplemental health, pet, and group life insurance 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., Independence Brokerage Group, Inc., My1HR, Inc. (“My1HR”), Torchlight Technology Group LLC (“Torchlight”) and a majority interest in PetPartners, Inc. (“PetPartners”), 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 financial holding company, and its affiliated entities, held approximately 62% of IHC's outstanding common stock at September 30, 2020.

(B) 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 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a global health pandemic and the United States declared a national health emergency. COVID-19 has led to largescale disruption in the global economy, market instability and widespread unemployment in the United States. The COVID-19 outbreak is a fluid situation and as it evolves, the duration of COVID-19 and its potential effects on our business cannot be certain. Regulatory mandates have affected, and we anticipate will continue to impact, the insurance industry. We currently cannot predict if there will be a material impact to our business, results of operations or financial condition in future reporting periods. Consequently, future changes in market conditions may impact estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements associated with evaluations of goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment, estimates associated with the determination of valuation allowances related to net operating loss carryforwards, and estimates of certain losses under insurance contracts. These estimates may all be subject to substantial adjustments in future periods. In addition, volatile market conditions may result in further declines in the fair value of our investment portfolio and possible impairments of certain securities.

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 nine months ended September 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be anticipated for the entire year.