Reinsurance (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

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, 2017 and 2016 (dollars in thousands):

		2017				2016
Reinsurer	A.M. Best Rating	Amount		% of Total		Amount		% of Total
Reinsurer A	A+	$	301,478	38.6	%	$	240,894	35.2	%
Reinsurer B	A+	203,898		26.1		183,881		26.9
Reinsurer C	A	67,723		8.7		68,832		10.1
Reinsurer D	A++	40,592		5.2		36,202		5.3
Reinsurer E	A+	40,528		5.2		35,484		5.2
Other reinsurers		127,808		16.2		118,679		17.3
Total		$	782,027	100.0	%	$	683,972	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,	2017			2016			2015
Direct	$	61,571		$	57,562		$	43,106
Reinsurance assumed	10,642,462			10,049,587			9,371,308
Reinsurance ceded	(862,903		)	(858,278		)	(843,673		)
Net premiums	$	9,841,130		$	9,248,871		$	8,570,741

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

Years ended December 31,	2017			2016			2015
Direct	$	104,447		$	105,435		$	82,942
Reinsurance assumed	9,281,590			8,621,647			8,205,308
Reinsurance ceded	(867,120		)	(733,707		)	(798,868		)
Net claims and other policy benefits	$	8,518,917		$	7,993,375		$	7,489,382

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, 2017	$	1,462	$	3,297,275	$	205,529	$	3,093,208	106.6	%
December 31, 2016	1,576		3,062,525		214,727		2,849,374		107.5
December 31, 2015	1,686		2,995,079		222,388		2,774,377		108.0