FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS - Estimated Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details) - Successor - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Assets:
Mortgage loans on real estate	$ 6,132,125	$ 5,662,812
Policy loans	1,650,240	1,699,508
Fixed maturities, held-to-maturity	2,770,177	593,314
Liabilities:
Stable value product account balances	3,501,636	2,131,822
Future policy benefits and claims	10,642,115	10,719,862
Other policyholders’ funds	1,165,749	1,069,572
Debt
Non-recourse funding obligations	2,973,829	1,951,563
Golden Gate V
Debt
Non-recourse funding obligations	628,025	564,679
Carrying Amounts
Assets:
Mortgage loans on real estate	6,132,125	5,662,812
Policy loans	1,650,240	1,699,508
Fixed maturities, held-to-maturity	2,770,177	593,314
Liabilities:
Stable value product account balances	3,501,636	2,131,822
Future policy benefits and claims	221,634	226,499
Other policyholders’ funds	135,367	132,840
Debt
Non-recourse funding obligations	2,973,829	1,951,563
Carrying Amounts \| Golden Gate V
Debt
Non-recourse funding obligations	565,000	500,000
Fair Value \| Level 3
Assets:
Mortgage loans on real estate	5,930,992	5,529,803
Policy loans	1,650,240	1,699,508
Fixed maturities, held-to-maturity	2,733,340	515,000
Liabilities:
Stable value product account balances	3,488,877	2,124,712
Future policy benefits and claims	221,658	226,527
Other policyholders’ funds	136,127	133,657
Debt
Non-recourse funding obligations	2,939,387	1,621,773
Fair Value \| Level 3 \| Golden Gate V
Debt
Non-recourse funding obligations	$ 567,100	$ 495,500

Represents the liability as of the balance sheet date of amounts held for annuity contracts.

No definition available.

Name:	plico_AnnuityAccountBalances
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Non-recourse funding obligations issued by special purpose entities owned by the reporting entity. The funding obligations are direct financial obligations of the special purpose entity and are not guaranteed by the reporting entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plico_NonrecourseFundingObligations
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the liability as of the balance sheet date of amounts related to stable value contracts.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plico_StableValueProductAccountBalances
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount after other than temporary impairment (OTTI) accretion, of investments in debt securities classified as held-to-maturity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65884222&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.6)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount before allowance of loans made to policy and contract holders using their life insurance contracts' cash value or separate accounts as collateral. Includes deferred interest and fees, undisbursed portion of loan balance, unamortized costs and premiums over and discounts from face amounts. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(e))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7(a)(7))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

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

- Definition

The balance represents the amount of loans that are secured by real estate mortgages, offset by the reserve to cover probable credit losses on the loan portfolio.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount due to policyholders for funds held that are returnable under the terms of insurance contracts, classified as other.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherPolicyholderFunds
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=plico_GoldenGateVMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: