INVESTMENT OPERATIONS (Details 5) (Red Mountain, USD $)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014 item	Dec. 31, 2013 item
Red Mountain
Variable Interest Entities
Number of wholly owned subsidiaries that were determined to be VIEs	1	1
Ownership interest through an affiliate (as a percent)	100.00%
Investment to which risk of loss related to the VIE is limited	$ 10,000
Payments made to guarantee	$ 0

Represents the number of wholly owned subsidiaries which were determined to be variable interest entities.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	plico_
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the amount of payments made or required to be made related to the guarantee.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The reporting entity's maximum amount of exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the Variable Interest Entity (VIE).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-Subparagraph b

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=d3e5728-111685

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 6

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=d3e5747-111685

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityLineItems
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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
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- Definition

Percentage of the Variable Interest Entity's (VIE) voting interest owned by (or beneficial interest in) the reporting entity (directly or indirectly).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5A

-Subparagraph (d)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=SL6759159-111685

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityOwnershipPercentage
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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration