Fair Value Measurements (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]
Discount rates used for the DCF model, minimum (in hundredths)	16.87%
Discount rate used for the DCF model, maximum (in hundredths)	18.35%
State premium tax credit investments, average maturity	5 years
Annual average discount rate (in hundredths)	7.30%
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	$ 5,020,172		$ 4,230,275
Real estate acquired	12,376	[1]	3,463	[1]
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	909,869		1,010,932
Real estate acquired	0	[1]	0	[1]
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	4,107,412		3,198,778
Real estate acquired	0	[1]	0	[1]
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	2,891		20,565
Real estate acquired	12,376	[1]	3,463	[1]
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	786,767		866,251
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	786,767		866,251
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Obligations of U.S. States and Political Subdivisions [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	912,833		812,394
Obligations of U.S. States and Political Subdivisions [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Obligations of U.S. States and Political Subdivisions [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	910,263		809,264
Obligations of U.S. States and Political Subdivisions [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	2,570		3,130
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	2,164,458		1,480,941
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	2,164,458		1,463,827
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		17,114
Asset-Backed Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	340,814		324,436
Asset-Backed Securities [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Asset-Backed Securities [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	340,814		324,436
Asset-Backed Securities [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	377,565		450,909
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	377,565		450,909
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Commercial mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	253,807		150,342
Commercial mortgage-backed securities [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Commercial mortgage-backed securities [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	253,807		150,342
Commercial mortgage-backed securities [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Collateralized loan obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	60,505
Collateralized loan obligations [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0
Collateralized loan obligations [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	60,505
Collateralized loan obligations [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0
Debt Securities Issued by Foreign Sovereign Governments [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	120,539		142,066
Debt Securities Issued by Foreign Sovereign Governments [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	120,539		142,066
Debt Securities Issued by Foreign Sovereign Governments [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Debt Securities Issued by Foreign Sovereign Governments [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Total Debt Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	5,017,288		4,227,339
Total Debt Securities [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	907,306		1,008,317
Total Debt Securities [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	4,107,412		3,198,778
Total Debt Securities [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	2,570		20,244
Equity Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	2,884		2,936
Equity Securities [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	2,563		2,615
Equity Securities [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	0		0
Equity Securities [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments	$ 321		$ 321

[1] Real estate acquired through claim settlement, which is held for sale, is reported in Other Assets on the consolidated balance sheet.