Quarterly Results of Operations (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2022	Mar. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Jun. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	$ 105	$ (2,289)	$ 443	$ 458	$ 816	$ 369	$ 466	$ 457	$ 900	$ 923	$ (1,389)	$ 1,292	$ (1,285)	$ 2,109	$ 591
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Realized (gain) loss	124	(11)	(70)	(257)	(700)	32	169	(212)	(327)	(43)	(338)	(11)	(214)	(711)	526
Sales and maturities (purchases) of trading securities, net				(189)				118	109	230	164	239	301	(87)	253
Amortization of deferred gain (loss) on business sold through reinsurance	(8)	(9)	(10)	(10)	(10)	(8)	(7)	(7)	(20)	(14)	(29)	(22)	(37)	(32)	(33)
Impairment of intangibles		634									634		634
Change in:
Deferred acquisition costs, value of business acquired, deferred sales inducements and deferred front-end loads deferrals and interest, net of amortization				24				50	(10)	106	3	325	45	289	68
Premiums and fees receivable				(91)				(163)	(71)	(98)	(2)	(99)	(53)	(95)	(20)
Accrued investment income				(44)				(51)	(40)	(11)	(77)	(44)	(41)	8	(88)
Insurance liabilities and reinsurance-related balances				299				(263)	81	5	2,311	(301)	1,055	(584)	392
Accrued expenses				(229)				(35)	(340)	35	(375)	200	(98)	370	(21)
Federal income tax accruals				82				97	192	167	(308)	233	(271)	391	(134)
Cash management agreement				872				(182)	2,427	(1,223)	2,803	(1,367)	3,730	(1,286)	(1,341)
Other				(3)				(203)	224	(219)	478	(226)	527	(163)	92
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities				912				(394)	3,125	(142)	3,875	219	4,293	209	285
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Purchases of available-for-sale securities and equity securities				(3,910)				(3,803)	(8,090)	(8,212)	(11,961)	(11,776)	(14,768)	(16,856)	(16,149)
Sales of available-for-sale securities and equity securities				105				592	236	1,277	1,231	1,441	2,347	2,341	1,214
Maturities of available-for-sale securities				1,566				1,862	3,165	4,570	4,339	6,897	5,487	9,417	5,180
Purchases of alternative investments				(141)				(163)	(300)	(360)	(453)	(504)
Sales and repayments of alternative investments				130				54	181	128	380	258
Issuance of mortgage loans on real estate				(539)				(868)	(1,366)	(1,609)	(1,924)	(2,188)	(2,507)	(3,057)	(1,790)
Repayment and maturities of mortgage loans on real estate				716				398	1,422	846	1,866	1,267	2,247	1,873	1,133
Repayment (issuance) of policy loans, net				25				(76)	(6)	16	16	47	4	61	49
Net change in collateral on investments, derivatives and related settlements				(242)				987	(2,322)	1,704	(3,667)	2,132	(4,653)	3,095	1,775
Other				(76)				(30)	(93)	(67)	(83)	(181)	(40)	(253)	(149)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities				(2,366)				(1,047)	(7,173)	(1,707)	(10,256)	(2,607)	(12,073)	(3,756)	(8,961)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Capital contribution from Lincoln National Corporation								65	65	65	145	65	925	65	510
Payment of long-term debt, including current maturities								(60)	(40)	(60)	(40)	(60)	(40)	(60)	(30)
Issuance (payment) of short-term debt				(347)				71	(385)	(40)	(313)	(14)	(522)	587	(112)
Payment related to sale-leaseback transactions				(4)					(47)		(52)		(70)	(59)	(47)
Proceeds from certain financing arrangements									53	50	53	50	186	159	109
Deposits of fixed account values, including the fixed portion of variable				3,041				3,136	6,892	6,370	11,049	9,138	15,212	12,626	14,009
Withdrawals of fixed account values, including the fixed portion of variable				(1,873)				(1,764)	(3,334)	(3,260)	(4,970)	(4,935)	(6,880)	(6,522)	(6,069)
Transfers from (to) separate accounts, net				70				(130)	116	(255)	71	(254)	(195)	(397)	528
Common stock issued for benefit plans				(17)				(10)	(21)	(11)	(21)	(12)	(21)	(13)	(9)
Dividends paid to Lincoln National Corporation				(25)				(180)	(305)	(495)	(580)	(795)	(645)	(1,910)	(660)
Other								(63)		(63)	(1)	(63)	(2)	(60)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities				845				1,065	2,994	2,301	5,341	3,120	7,948	4,416	8,259
Net increase (decrease) in cash, invested cash and restricted cash				(609)				(376)	(1,054)	452	(1,040)	732	168	869	(417)
Cash, invested cash and restricted cash as of beginning-of-year	1,291	1,277	1,722	2,331	2,194	1,914	1,086	1,462	2,331	1,462	2,331	1,462	2,331	1,462	1,879
Cash, invested cash and restricted cash as of end-of-period	2,499	1,291	1,277	1,722	2,331	2,194	1,914	1,086	1,277	1,914	1,291	2,194	2,499	2,331	1,462
As Previously Reported [Member]
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	89	(2,287)	456	469	331	372	462	464	925	926	(1,362)	1,298	(1,273)	1,629
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Realized (gain) loss	152	(5)	(82)	(266)	(74)	24	172	(211)	(347)	(39)	(353)	(16)	(201)	(89)
Sales and maturities (purchases) of trading securities, net				(189)				98	109	210	164	219	301	(108)
Amortization of deferred gain (loss) on business sold through reinsurance	(16)	(17)	(18)	(18)	(18)	(8)	(7)	(7)	(35)	(14)	(52)	(22)	(69)	(40)
Impairment of intangibles		634									634		634
Change in:
Deferred acquisition costs, value of business acquired, deferred sales inducements and deferred front-end loads deferrals and interest, net of amortization				24				50	(8)	109	9	325	42	292
Premiums and fees receivable				(91)				(169)	(71)	(98)	(2)	(99)	(53)	(95)
Accrued investment income				(44)				(51)	(40)	(11)	(77)	(44)	(41)	8
Insurance liabilities and reinsurance-related balances				303				(265)	54	(3)	2,311	(300)	1,055	(585)
Accrued expenses				(229)				(35)	(340)	35	(375)	200	(98)	367
Federal income tax accruals				85				99	198	167	(301)	234	(268)	264
Cash management agreement				872				(182)	2,427	(1,223)	2,803	(1,367)	3,730	(1,286)
Other								(204)	258	(219)	480	(226)	531	(165)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities				916				(413)	3,130	(160)	3,879	202	4,290	192
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Purchases of available-for-sale securities and equity securities				(3,910)				(3,783)	(8,091)	(8,192)	(11,961)	(11,756)	(14,768)	(16,834)
Sales of available-for-sale securities and equity securities				105				592	236	1,277	1,231	1,441	2,347	2,341
Maturities of available-for-sale securities				1,566				1,862	3,165	4,570	4,339	6,897	5,487	9,417
Purchases of alternative investments				(141)				(163)	(300)	(360)	(453)	(504)
Sales and repayments of alternative investments				130				54	181	128	380	258
Issuance of mortgage loans on real estate				(540)				(869)	(1,368)	(1,611)	(1,928)	(2,191)	(2,503)	(3,062)
Repayment and maturities of mortgage loans on real estate				716				398	1,422	846	1,866	1,267	2,247	1,873
Repayment (issuance) of policy loans, net				25				(76)	(6)	16	16	47	4	61
Net change in collateral on investments, derivatives and related settlements				(242)				987	(2,321)	1,704	(3,667)	2,132	(4,654)	3,095
Other				(79)				(30)	(96)	(67)	(83)	(181)	(40)	(253)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities				(2,370)				(1,028)	(7,178)	(1,689)	(10,260)	(2,590)	(12,070)	(3,739)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Capital contribution from Lincoln National Corporation								65	65	65	145	65	925	65
Payment of long-term debt, including current maturities								(60)	(40)	(60)	(40)	(60)	(40)	(60)
Issuance (payment) of short-term debt				(347)				71	(385)	(40)	(313)	(14)	(522)	587
Payment related to sale-leaseback transactions				(4)					(47)		(52)		(70)	(59)
Proceeds from certain financing arrangements									53	50	53	50	186	159
Deposits of fixed account values, including the fixed portion of variable				3,043				3,132	6,892	6,367	11,054	9,136	15,212	12,622
Withdrawals of fixed account values, including the fixed portion of variable				(1,819)				(1,768)	(3,280)	(3,283)	(4,916)	(4,935)	(6,880)	(6,575)
Transfers from (to) separate accounts, net				14				(122)	62	(229)	12	(252)	(195)	(340)
Common stock issued for benefit plans				(17)				(10)	(21)	(11)	(21)	(12)	(21)	(13)
Dividends paid to Lincoln National Corporation				(25)				(180)	(305)	(495)	(580)	(795)	(645)	(1,910)
Other								(63)		(63)	(1)	(63)	(2)	(60)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities				845				1,065	2,994	2,301	5,341	3,120	7,948	4,416
Net increase (decrease) in cash, invested cash and restricted cash				(609)				(376)	(1,054)	452	(1,040)	732	168	869
Cash, invested cash and restricted cash as of beginning-of-year	1,291	1,277	1,722	2,331	2,194	1,914	1,086	1,462	2,331	1,462	2,331	1,462	2,331	1,462
Cash, invested cash and restricted cash as of end-of-period	2,499	1,291	1,277	1,722	2,331	2,194	1,914	1,086	1,277	1,914	1,291	2,194	2,499	2,331	$ 1,462
Restatement Impacts [Member]
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	16	(2)	(13)	(11)	485	(3)	4	(7)	(25)	(3)	(27)	(6)	(12)	480
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Realized (gain) loss	(28)	(6)	12	9	(626)	$ 8	$ (3)	(1)	20	(4)	15	5	(13)	(622)
Sales and maturities (purchases) of trading securities, net								20		20		20		21
Amortization of deferred gain (loss) on business sold through reinsurance	$ 8	$ 8	$ 8	8	$ 8				15		23		32	8
Change in:
Deferred acquisition costs, value of business acquired, deferred sales inducements and deferred front-end loads deferrals and interest, net of amortization									(2)	(3)	(6)		3	(3)
Premiums and fees receivable								6
Insurance liabilities and reinsurance-related balances				(4)				2	27	8		(1)		1
Accrued expenses														3
Federal income tax accruals				(3)				(2)	(6)		(7)	(1)	(3)	127
Other				(3)				1	(34)		(2)		(4)	2
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities				(4)				19	(5)	18	(4)	17	3	17
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Purchases of available-for-sale securities and equity securities								(20)	1	(20)		(20)		(22)
Issuance of mortgage loans on real estate				1				1	2	2	4	3	(4)	5
Net change in collateral on investments, derivatives and related settlements									(1)				1
Other				3					3
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities				4				(19)	5	(18)	4	(17)	$ (3)	(17)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Deposits of fixed account values, including the fixed portion of variable				(2)				4		3	(5)	2		4
Withdrawals of fixed account values, including the fixed portion of variable				(54)				4	(54)	23	(54)			53
Transfers from (to) separate accounts, net				$ 56				$ (8)	$ 54	$ (26)	$ 59	$ (2)		$ (57)