COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE LOANS - Schedule of Allowance for Credit Losses on Funded and Unfunded Mortgages (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Receivables [Abstract]
Increase in allowance for credit loss on mortgage loans due to deterioration in macroeconomic forecasts as a result of COVID-19	$ 148,800
Allowance for Funded Commercial Mortgage Loan Credit Losses
Beginning balance	4,884	$ 1,296
Charge offs	0	(350)
Recoveries	(3,009)	0
Provision	140,050	3,938
Ending balance	222,164	4,884
Allowance for Unfunded Commercial Mortgage Loan Commitments Credit Losses
Beginning balance	0
Charge offs	0
Recoveries	0
Provision	11,803
Ending balance	22,413	0
Cumulative effect adjustments
Allowance for Funded Commercial Mortgage Loan Credit Losses
Beginning balance	80,239
Ending balance		80,239
Allowance for Unfunded Commercial Mortgage Loan Commitments Credit Losses
Beginning balance	$ 10,610
Ending balance		$ 10,610

Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease) From COVID-19

No definition available.

Name:	plico_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLossPeriodIncreaseDecreaseFromCOVID19
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Off-Balance Sheet, Credit Loss, Liability, Recovery

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plico_OffBalanceSheetCreditLossLiabilityRecovery
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Off-Balance Sheet, Credit Loss, Liability, Writeoffs

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plico_OffBalanceSheetCreditLossLiabilityWriteoffs
Namespace Prefix:	plico_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of allowance for credit loss on financing receivable. Excludes allowance for financing receivable covered under loss sharing agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121611835&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(7)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120398452&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599878&loc=SL82895884-210446

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of increase in allowance for credit loss on financing receivable from recovery.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 79
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121647567&loc=SL82922352-210448

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121611835&loc=SL6953423-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLossesRecovery
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of writeoff of financing receivable, charged against allowance for credit loss.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121611835&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 79
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121647567&loc=SL82922352-210448

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLossesWriteOffs
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of expected credit loss for credit exposure on off-balance-sheet commitment, including but not limited to, loan commitment, standby letter of credit, financial guarantee not accounted for as insurance. Excludes off-balance sheet credit exposure accounted for as insurance and instrument accounted for under derivatives and hedging.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121611286&loc=d3e11927-110247

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599878&loc=SL82919202-210446

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of expense (reversal of expense) for expected credit loss for off-balance sheet credit exposure. Excludes off-balance sheet credit exposure accounted for as insurance and instrument accounted for under derivatives and hedging.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OffBalanceSheetCreditLossLiabilityCreditLossExpenseReversal
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of credit loss expense (reversal of expense) for financing receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04(11))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120399700&loc=SL114874048-224260

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanLossesExpensed
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	srt_CumulativeEffectPeriodOfAdoptionAxis=srt_CumulativeEffectPeriodOfAdoptionAdjustmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: