Reinsurance (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Reinsurance Disclosures [Abstract]

Ceded Credit Risk [Table Text Block]

The following table presents information for the Company's ceded reinsurance receivable assets, including the respective amount and A.M. Best rating for each reinsurer representing in excess of five percent of the total as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):

		2015				2014
Reinsurer	A.M. Best Rating	Amount		% of Total		Amount		% of Total
Reinsurer A	A+	$	199,479	31.3	%	$	45,541	7.9	%
Reinsurer B	A+	179,522		28.1		210,996		36.5
Reinsurer C	A+	72,836		11.4		74,412		12.9
Reinsurer D	A++	41,807		6.6		43,154		7.5
Reinsurer E	A	37,138		5.8		43,818		7.6
Other reinsurers		107,077		16.8		160,285		27.6
Total		$	637,859	100.0	%	$	578,206	100.0	%

Reinsurance Premium And Effect On Claims And Other Policy Benefits [Table Text Block]

The effect of reinsurance on net premiums is as follows (dollars in thousands):

Years ended December 31,	2015			2014			2013
Direct	$	43,106		$	19,365		$	5,224
Reinsurance assumed	9,371,308			9,098,378			8,568,222
Reinsurance ceded	(843,673		)	(447,889		)	(319,419		)
Net premiums	$	8,570,741		$	8,669,854		$	8,254,027

The effect of reinsurance on claims and other policy benefits as follows (dollars in thousands):

Years ended December 31,	2015			2014			2013
Direct	$	82,942		$	32,564		$	8,078
Reinsurance assumed	8,205,308			7,805,984			7,515,524
Reinsurance ceded	(798,868		)	(431,907		)	(219,270		)
Net claims and other policy benefits	$	7,489,382		$	7,406,641		$	7,304,332

Reinsurance Information [Table Text Block]

The effect of reinsurance on life insurance in force is shown in the following schedule (dollars in millions):

	Direct		Assumed		Ceded		Net		Assumed/Net %
December 31, 2015	$	1,686	$	2,995,079	$	222,388	$	2,774,377	108.0	%
December 31, 2014	78		2,943,517		230,544		2,713,051		108.5
December 31, 2013	77		2,889,804		36,830		2,853,051		101.3