Investments in fixed maturity securities - Amortized cost and estimated fair value of securities with fixed maturities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Due in one year or less - amortized cost	$ 6,732
Due after one year through five years - amortized cost	10,203
Due after five years through ten years - amortized cost	311
Due after ten years - amortized cost	428
Amortized cost of fixed maturity securities	18,073	$ 19,427
Due in one year or less - fair value	6,761
Due after one year through five years - fair value	10,321
Due after five years through ten years - fair value	355
Due after ten years - fair value	789
Fair value of fixed maturity securities	18,685	$ 19,898
Mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Amortized cost of mortgage-backed securities	399
Fair value of mortgage-backed securities	$ 459

Amortized cost of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118939692&loc=d3e27161-111563

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118942338&loc=SL82898722-210454

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amortized cost of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), with single maturity date and allocated without single maturity date, maturing in next rolling fiscal year following latest fiscal year. For interim and annual periods when interim period is reported on rolling approach, from latest statement of financial position date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesNextRollingTwelveMonthsAmortizedCostBasis
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), with single maturity date and allocated without single maturity date, maturing in next rolling fiscal year following latest fiscal year. For interim and annual periods when interim period is reported on rolling approach, from latest statement of financial position date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesNextRollingTwelveMonthsFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amortized cost of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), with single maturity date and allocated without single maturity date, maturing after rolling tenth fiscal year following latest fiscal year. For interim and annual periods when interim period is reported on rolling approach, from latest statement of financial position date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesRollingAfterYearTenAmortizedCostBasis
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), with single maturity date and allocated without single maturity date, maturing after rolling tenth fiscal year following latest fiscal year. For interim and annual periods when interim period is reported on rolling approach, from latest statement of financial position date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesRollingAfterYearTenFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amortized cost of investment in debt security, measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), with single maturity date and allocated without single maturity date, maturing in rolling sixth through tenth fiscal year following latest fiscal year. For interim and annual periods when interim period is reported on rolling approach, from latest statement of financial position date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesRollingYearSixThroughTenAmortizedCostBasis
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of investment in debt security, measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), with single maturity date and allocated without single maturity date, maturing in rolling sixth through tenth fiscal year following latest fiscal year. For interim and annual periods when interim period is reported on rolling approach, from latest statement of financial position date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesRollingYearSixThroughTenFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amortized cost of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), with single maturity date and allocated without single maturity date, maturing in next rolling fiscal year through fifth year following latest fiscal year. For interim and annual periods when interim period is reported on rolling approach, from latest statement of financial position date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesRollingYearTwoThroughFiveAmortizedCostBasis
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of investment in debt security, measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), with single maturity date and allocated without single maturity date, maturing in next rolling fiscal year through fifth year following latest fiscal year. For interim and annual periods when interim period is reported on rolling approach, from latest statement of financial position date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesRollingYearTwoThroughFiveFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amortized cost of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), without single maturity date and not allocated over maturity grouping.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118939692&loc=d3e27198-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateAmortizedCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), without single maturity date and not allocated over maturity grouping.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118942338&loc=SL82898722-210454

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118954083&loc=d3e26610-111562

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (aa)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118939692&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SummaryOfInvestmentHoldingsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: