SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                             ----------------------

                                   FORM 10-K/A

                  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1999      COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 0-21459

                           AMERUS LIFE HOLDINGS, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

                                699 WALNUT STREET
                           DES MOINES, IOWA 50309-3948
          (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

            IOWA                                             42-1459712
(State or other jurisdiction of                              (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                               Identification No.)

        Registrant's telephone number, including area code (515) 362-3600
                ------------------------------------------------

           Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Class                              Name of Exchange on Which Registered
--------------                                    ------------------------------
Class A Common Stock (no par value)                      New York Stock Exchange

7.00% Adjustable Conversion-rate Equity Security Units
issued by AmerUs Capital II, a subsidiary trust          New York Stock Exchange

           Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act:

                               Title of each class
                  8.85% Capital Securities, Series A issued by
                      AmerUs Capital I, a subsidiary trust

                          Class A Common Stock Warrants

                               6.95% Senior Notes

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required
to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the  preceding 12 months (or for such  shorter  period that the  registrant  was
required  to file  such  reports),  and  (2) has  been  subject  to such  filing
requirements for the past 90 days.      /x/ yes / / no

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent  filers  pursuant to Item 405
of Regulation S-K (ss.229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will
not be contained,  to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or
information  statements  incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K
or any amendment to this Form 10-K.     /x/

Aggregate market value of voting stock held by  non-affiliates of the Registrant
as of February 29, 2000: $255,600,922.

Number of shares outstanding of each of the Registrant's classes of common stock
on February 29, 2000 was as follows:
                   Class A, Common Stock    25,072,902 shares
                   Class B, Common Stock     5,000,000 shares

                       DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Notice of 2000 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement
(incorporated into Part III)



<PAGE>


                                EXPLANATORY NOTE

The number, 333-91493, pertaining to a Registration on Form S-8, filed by the
Company on November 23, 1999, was inadvertently omitted from the Consent of
Independent Auditors in Exhibit 23.1 to the Report on Form 10-K filed by the
Company on March 8, 2000. In addition, the number, 333-40065, pertaining to a
Registration on Form S-4, filed by the Company on November 12, 1997, was
incorrectly identified in such exhibit as a Registration on Form S-8. The
accompanying 10-K/A restates Exhibit 23.1 with these corrections.



                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit No.        Description
-----------        -----------
23.1               Consent of Independent Auditors


                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                                               AMERUS LIFE HOLDINGS, INC.


                                                    *
                                               ---------------------------------
Date:  March 8, 2000                           Roger K. Brooks
                                               Chairman, President and Chief
                                               Executive Officer



         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
this  report has been  signed  below by the  following  persons on behalf of the
Registrant and in the capacities indicated.


       *
-------------------------
Roger K. Brooks             Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
                            (principal executive officer) and  Director
s/ Michael G. Fraizer
-------------------------
Michael G. Fraizer          Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                            (principal financial officer)
       *
-------------------------
Brenda J. Cushing           Vice President and Controller
                            (principal accounting officer)
       *
-------------------------
John R. Albers              Director

       *
-------------------------
Malcolm Candlish            Director



<PAGE>


       *
-------------------------
Maureen M. Culhane          Director

       *
-------------------------
Thomas F. Gaffney           Director

       *
-------------------------
Sam C. Kalainov             Director

       *
-------------------------
Ralph W. Laster, Jr.        Director

       *
-------------------------
John W. Norris, Jr.         Director

       *
-------------------------
Jack C. Pester              Director

       *
-------------------------
John A. Wing                Director


* By:   /s/ Michael G. Fraizer
  ----------------------------
  Michael G. Fraizer
  (Attorney-in-Fact)