Other expense including policy acquisition costs, other operating expenses (used in condensed disclosures).

No definition available.

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- Definition

Revenue other than premium for condensed disclosures.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The total amount of expense recognized during the period for future policy benefits, claims and claims adjustment costs, and for selling, general and administrative costs.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Sum of operating profit and nonoperating income or expense before Income or Loss from equity method investments, income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(1)(i))

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- Definition

Amount, after effects of policies assumed or ceded, of expense related to the provision for policy benefits and costs incurred.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 225

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.5)

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Paragraph 5

-Article 7

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-Topic 944

-SubTopic 20

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- Definition

Amount, after premiums ceded to other entities and premiums assumed by the entity, of premiums earned.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 17

-Article 12

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

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-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.13(c))

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- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)

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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Article 5

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Segments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Information by business segment
Net earned premium	$ 601,832us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNet	$ 586,935us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNet	$ 572,248us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNet	$ 562,612us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNet	$ 560,030us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNet	$ 556,668us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNet	$ 561,356us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNet	$ 561,186us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNet	$ 2,323,627us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNet	$ 2,239,240us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNet	$ 2,242,625us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNet
Other revenue	68,175hcc_OtherRevenue	103,103hcc_OtherRevenue	71,326hcc_OtherRevenue	86,318hcc_OtherRevenue	76,600hcc_OtherRevenue	79,809hcc_OtherRevenue	68,075hcc_OtherRevenue	73,180hcc_OtherRevenue	328,922hcc_OtherRevenue	297,664hcc_OtherRevenue	283,202hcc_OtherRevenue
Total revenue	670,007us-gaap_Revenues	690,038us-gaap_Revenues	643,574us-gaap_Revenues	648,930us-gaap_Revenues	636,630us-gaap_Revenues	636,477us-gaap_Revenues	629,431us-gaap_Revenues	634,366us-gaap_Revenues	2,652,549us-gaap_Revenues	2,536,904us-gaap_Revenues	2,525,827us-gaap_Revenues
Loss and LAE	339,434	320,758	335,897	330,746	305,477	328,530	347,353	341,094	1,326,835	1,322,454	1,338,074
Other expense	166,010hcc_OtherExpense	164,623hcc_OtherExpense	170,033hcc_OtherExpense	163,212hcc_OtherExpense	174,770hcc_OtherExpense	167,847hcc_OtherExpense	157,247hcc_OtherExpense	141,876hcc_OtherExpense	663,878hcc_OtherExpense	641,740hcc_OtherExpense	633,326hcc_OtherExpense
Total expense	505,444us-gaap_BenefitsLossesAndExpenses	485,381us-gaap_BenefitsLossesAndExpenses	505,930us-gaap_BenefitsLossesAndExpenses	493,958us-gaap_BenefitsLossesAndExpenses	480,247us-gaap_BenefitsLossesAndExpenses	496,377us-gaap_BenefitsLossesAndExpenses	504,600us-gaap_BenefitsLossesAndExpenses	482,970us-gaap_BenefitsLossesAndExpenses	1,990,713us-gaap_BenefitsLossesAndExpenses	1,964,194us-gaap_BenefitsLossesAndExpenses	1,971,400us-gaap_BenefitsLossesAndExpenses
Earnings before income taxes	164,563	204,657	137,644	154,972	156,383	140,100	124,831	151,396	661,836	572,710	554,427
U.S. Property & Casualty [Member]
Information by business segment
Net earned premium									363,998	367,135	354,050
Other revenue									20,822	24,266	18,865
Total revenue									384,820	391,401	372,915
Loss and LAE									154,200	175,190	209,286
Other expense									116,553	117,910	116,398
Total expense									270,753	293,100	325,684
Earnings before income taxes									114,067	98,301	47,231
Professional Liability [Member]
Information by business segment
Net earned premium									351,690	368,167	394,687
Other revenue									1,082	(7)	731
Total revenue									352,772	368,160	395,418
Loss and LAE									206,690	195,429	229,873
Other expense									67,692	66,391	66,721
Total expense									274,382	261,820	296,594
Earnings before income taxes									78,390	106,340	98,824
Accident & Health [Member]
Information by business segment
Net earned premium									981,219	883,515	831,827
Other revenue									9,663	4,932	4,918
Total revenue									990,882	888,447	836,745
Loss and LAE									696,288	630,210	601,076
Other expense									155,469	130,814	122,232
Total expense									851,757	761,024	723,308
Earnings before income taxes									139,125	127,423	113,437
U.S. Surety & Credit [Member]
Information by business segment
Net earned premium									199,764	194,286	207,955
Other revenue									2,505	1,468	843
Total revenue									202,269	195,754	208,798
Loss and LAE									42,273	24,143	38,535
Other expense									112,232	109,550	113,619
Total expense									154,505	133,693	152,154
Earnings before income taxes									47,764	62,061	56,644
International [Member]
Information by business segment
Net earned premium									426,480	413,206	412,853
Other revenue									3,711	4,334	5,005
Total revenue									430,191	417,540	417,858
Loss and LAE									196,134	249,199	189,410
Other expense									175,158	158,869	146,807
Total expense									371,292	408,068	336,217
Earnings before income taxes									58,899	9,472	81,641
Investing [Member]
Information by business segment
Net earned premium									0	0	0
Other revenue									287,990	262,212	252,754
Total revenue									287,990	262,212	252,754
Loss and LAE									0	0	0
Other expense									0	0	0
Total expense									0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes									287,990	262,212	252,754
Corporate & Other [Member]
Information by business segment
Net earned premium									476	12,931	41,253
Other revenue									3,149	459	86
Total revenue									3,625	13,390	41,339
Loss and LAE									31,250	48,283	69,894
Other expense									36,774	58,206	67,549
Total expense									68,024	106,489	137,443
Earnings before income taxes									$ (64,399)	$ (93,099)	$ (96,104)