MORTGAGE LOANS (Details 3) - Commercial mortgage loans $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) reinsurer loan	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) reinsurer loan
Delinquent loans
Past due period at which to cease carrying accrued interest on delinquent loans	90 days
Number of days accrued interest on impaired loans (less than)	90 days
Past due period at which to initiate foreclosure proceedings (more than)	90 days
Successor
Delinquent loans
Delinquent	$ 7,035
Number of loans, Total Delinquent \| reinsurer	7
Successor \| 30-59 Days Delinquent
Delinquent loans
Delinquent	$ 6,002
Number of loans, 30-59 Days Delinquent \| reinsurer	6
Successor \| 60-89 Days Delinquent
Delinquent loans
Delinquent	$ 1,033
Number of loans, 60-89 Days Delinquent \| loan	1
Successor \| Greater than 90 Days Delinquent
Delinquent loans
Delinquent	$ 0
Number of loans, Greater than 90 Days Delinquent \| reinsurer	0
Predecessor
Delinquent loans
Delinquent		$ 10,456
Number of loans, Total Delinquent \| reinsurer		5
Predecessor \| 30-59 Days Delinquent
Delinquent loans
Delinquent		$ 8,972
Number of loans, 30-59 Days Delinquent \| reinsurer		4
Predecessor \| 60-89 Days Delinquent
Delinquent loans
Delinquent		$ 0
Number of loans, 60-89 Days Delinquent \| loan		0
Predecessor \| Greater than 90 Days Delinquent
Delinquent loans
Delinquent		$ 1,484
Number of loans, Greater than 90 Days Delinquent \| reinsurer		1

Represents the minimum number of days over which the entity's policy is to cease carrying accrued interest on loans.

No definition available.

Name:	plico_FinancingReceivableMinimumNumberOfDaysPastDueForCeasingAccrualOfInterest
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the minimum number of days over which the entity's policy is to initiate foreclosure proceedings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plico_FinancingReceivableMinimumNumberOfDaysPastDueToInitiateForeclosureProceedings
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of financing receivables that are more than 29 days past due but less than 60 days past due.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plico_FinancingReceivableNumberOfLoans30To59DaysPastDue
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of financing receivables that are equal to or greater than 90 days past due.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plico_FinancingReceivableNumberOfLoansEqualToGreaterThan90DaysPastDue
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of financing receivables that are past due at the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plico_FinancingReceivableNumberOfLoansPastDue
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Financing Receivable, Number of Loans 60 to 89 Days Past Due

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plico_FinancingReceivableNumberofLoans60to89DaysPastDue
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The maximum number of days of accrued interest that can be carried on an impaired loan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plico_MaximumNumberOfDaysAccruedInterestOnImpairedLoans
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Recorded Investment in financing receivables that are past due at the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=SL6953401-111524

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=plico_CommercialMortgageLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis=us-gaap_SuccessorMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesPeriodPastDueAxis=us-gaap_FinancingReceivables30To59DaysPastDueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesPeriodPastDueAxis=us-gaap_FinancingReceivables60To89DaysPastDueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesPeriodPastDueAxis=us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesEqualToGreaterThan90DaysPastDueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis=us-gaap_PredecessorMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: