Benefit Plans	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans [Text Block]	Benefit Plans The Company sponsors a defined contribution profit-sharing plan. Employees with one year of service can participate. Contributions are made at the discretion of the Board of Directors and are subject to a tiered vesting schedule. There were no employer contributions to the plan in 2016 or 2015 and $1.0 million was contributed in 2014. The plan does not permit employee contributions. The Company introduced a new employer-sponsored 401(k) plan to all eligible employees, effective March 1, 2016. This is an additional benefit offered to employees, which supplements the defined contribution profit-sharing plan which was already in existence. Employees with one year of service can participate in the new plan. Contributions are made by employees and the Company provides a matching contribution based upon the employee's level of contribution. The Company's expense related to the new 401(k) plan was $0.5 million in 2016. On the effective date, the Company's defined contribution profit-sharing plan was merged into the 401(k) plan and it become the Citizens, Inc. 401(k) Retirement and Profit Sharing Plan. Although merged, the profit sharing plan remains a separate and distinct employee benefit for eligible employees. The Company is primarily self-insured for employee health benefits. The Company records its self-insurance liability based on claims filed and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported. There is stop-loss coverage for amounts in excess of $100,000 per individual per year. If more claims are made than were estimated or if the costs of actual claims increase beyond what was anticipated, reserves recorded may not be sufficient and additional accruals may be required in future periods.

Benefit Plans

The Company sponsors a defined contribution profit-sharing plan. Employees with one year of service can participate. Contributions are made at the discretion of the Board of Directors and are subject to a tiered vesting schedule. There were no employer contributions to the plan in 2016 or 2015 and $1.0 million was contributed in 2014. The plan does not permit employee contributions.

The Company introduced a new employer-sponsored 401(k) plan to all eligible employees, effective March 1, 2016. This is an additional benefit offered to employees, which supplements the defined contribution profit-sharing plan which was already in existence. Employees with one year of service can participate in the new plan. Contributions are made by employees and the Company provides a matching contribution based upon the employee's level of contribution. The Company's expense related to the new 401(k) plan was $0.5 million in 2016. On the effective date, the Company's defined contribution profit-sharing plan was merged into the 401(k) plan and it become the Citizens, Inc. 401(k) Retirement and Profit Sharing Plan. Although merged, the profit sharing plan remains a separate and distinct employee benefit for eligible employees.

The Company is primarily self-insured for employee health benefits. The Company records its self-insurance liability based on claims filed and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported. There is stop-loss coverage for amounts in excess of $100,000 per individual per year. If more claims are made than were estimated or if the costs of actual claims increase beyond what was anticipated, reserves recorded may not be sufficient and additional accruals may be required in future periods.