| **Fair Value (Tables)**                                                                                                             | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  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| **Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]**                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  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| Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis                                                                  | Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below.December 31, 2011      TotalAssets/(Liabilities)at Fair Value(In millions)Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Assets       Fixed maturity securities:       Corporate and other bonds$— $20,402 $482 $20,884States, municipalities and political subdivisions— 9,611 171 9,782Asset-backed:       Residential mortgage-backed— 5,323 452 5,775Commercial mortgage-backed— 1,295 59 1,354Other asset-backed— 612 343 955Total asset-backed— 7,230 854 8,084U.S. Treasury and obligations of government-sponsored enterprises451 42 — 493Foreign government92 544 — 636Redeemable preferred stock5 53 — 58Total fixed maturity securities548 37,882 1,507 39,937Equity securities124 113 67 304Derivative and other financial instruments, included in Other invested assets— 1 11 12Short term investments1,106 508 27 1,641Life settlement contracts, included in Other assets— — 117 117Separate account business21 373 23 417Total assets$1,799 $38,877 $1,752 $42,428Liabilities       Derivative financial instruments, included in Other liabilities$— $— $(1) $(1)Total liabilities$— $— $(1) $(1)December 31, 2010      TotalAssets/(Liabilities)at Fair Value(In millions)Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Assets       Fixed maturity securities:       Corporate and other bonds$— $20,407 $624 $21,031States, municipalities and political subdivisions— 7,623 266 7,889Asset-backed:       Residential mortgage-backed— 5,323 767 6,090Commercial mortgage-backed— 920 73 993Other asset-backed— 404 359 763Total asset-backed— 6,647 1,199 7,846U.S. Treasury and obligations of government-sponsored enterprises76 61 — 137Foreign government115 505 — 620Redeemable preferred stock3 48 3 54Total fixed maturity securities194 35,291 2,092 37,577Equity securities288 126 26 440Derivative and other financial instruments, included in Other invested assets— — 27 27Short term investments1,214 974 27 2,215Life settlement contracts, included in Other assets— — 129 129Discontinued operations investments, included in Other liabilities11 60 — 71Separate account business28 381 41 450Total assets$1,735 $36,832 $2,342 $40,909Liabilities       Derivative financial instruments, included in Other liabilities$— $— $(2) $(2)Total liabilities$— $— $(2) $(2)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Table of reconciliation for assets and liablities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs | The tables below present a reconciliation for all assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010.Level 3(In millions)Balance atJanuary 1,2011 Net realized investment gains (losses) and net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) included in net income (loss)* Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) included in other comprehensive income (loss) Purchases Sales Settlements Transfers intoLevel 3 Transfers out of Level 3 Balance atDecember 31,2011 Unrealized gains (losses) on Level 3 assets and liabilities held at December 31, 2011 recognized in net income (loss)*Fixed maturity securities:                   Corporate and other bonds$624 $(11) $(1) $484 $(204) $(149) $79 $(340) $482 $(12)States, municipalities and political subdivisions266 — (1) 3 — (92) — (5) 171 —Asset-backed:                   Residential mortgage-backed767 (16) (11) 225 (290) (60) — (163) 452 (6)Commercial mortgage-backed73 20 (7) 81 (27) — — (81) 59 —Other asset-backed359 (9) 5 537 (341) (99) 2 (111) 343 (5)Total asset-backed1,199 (5) (13) 843 (658) (159) 2 (355) 854 (11)Redeemable preferred stock3 3 (3) — (3) — — — — —Total fixed maturity securities2,092 (13) (18) 1,330 (865) (400) 81 (700) 1,507 (23)Equity securities26 (2) 2 66 (27) — 5 (3) 67 (3)Derivative and other financial instruments, net25 3 — 1 (19) — — — 10 2Short term investments27 — — 39 — (29) — (10) 27 —Life settlement contracts129 33 — — — (45) — — 117 5Separate account business41 — — — (6) — — (12) 23 —Total$2,340 $21 $(16) $1,436 $(917) $(474) $86 $(725) $1,751 $(19)Level 3(In millions)Balance atJanuary 1,2010 Net realized investment gains (losses) and net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) included in net income (loss)* Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) included in other comprehensive income (loss) Purchases,sales,issuancesandsettlements Transfers intoLevel 3 Transfers out of Level 3 Balance atDecember 31,2010 Unrealized gains (losses) on Level 3 assets and liabilities held at December 31, 2010 recognized in net income (loss)*Fixed maturity securities:               Corporate and other bonds$609 $9 $56 $45 $60 $(155) $624 $(4)States, municipalities and political subdivisions756 — 15 (507) 2 — 266 —Asset-backed:               Residential mortgage-backed629 (10) 15 181 — (48) 767 (13)Commercial mortgage-backed123 10 13 (8) 7 (72) 73 (2)Other asset-backed348 6 30 30 — (55) 359 (1)Total asset-backed1,100 6 58 203 7 (175) 1,199 (16)Redeemable preferred stock2 6 2 (7) — — 3 —Total fixed maturity securities2,467 21 131 (266) 69 (330) 2,092 (20)Equity securities11 (4) 1 17 8 (7) 26 (5)Derivative and other financial instruments, net(11) (1) — 37 — — 25 (1)Short term investments— — — 37 1 (11) 27 —Life settlement contracts130 29 — (30) — — 129 10Discontinued operations investments16 — 1 (2) — (15) — —Separate account business38 — — 3 — — 41 —Total$2,651 $45 $133 $(204) $78 $(363) $2,340 $(16) |
| Carrying amount and estimated fair value of financial instrument assets and liabilities not measured at fair value                  | The carrying amount and estimated fair value of the Company's financial instrument assets and liabilities which are not measured at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets are listed in the table below.December 312011 2010(In millions)CarryingAmount EstimatedFair Value CarryingAmount EstimatedFair ValueFinancial assets       Notes receivable for the issuance of common stock$22 $22 $26 $26Mortgage loans234 247 87 86Financial liabilities       Premium deposits and annuity contracts$109 $114 $104 $105Short term debt83 84 400 411Long term debt2,525 2,679 2,251 2,376                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |

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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the fair value measurement of assets using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances, separately presenting changes during the period attributable to the following: (1) total gains or losses for the period (realized and unrealized), segregating those gains or losses included in earnings (or changes in net assets) and gains or losses recognized in other comprehensive income, and a description of where those gains or losses included in earnings (or changes in net assets) are reported in the statement of income (or activities); (2) purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements (each type disclosed separately); and (3) transfers in and transfers out of Level 3 (for example, transfers due to changes in the observability of significant inputs), by class of asset.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments, assets, and liabilities. Such certain disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate) and (2) the methodology and assumptions used in developing such estimates of fair value.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of assets and liabilities, including [financial] instruments measured at fair value that are classified in stockholders' equity, if any, that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The disclosures contemplated herein include the fair value measurements at the reporting date by the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements in their entirety fall, segregating fair value measurements using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1), significant other observable inputs (Level 2), and significant unobservable inputs (Level 3).
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