Investment income - Gross Realized Investment and Other Gains and Losses (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income	$ 16,850	$ 16,806	$ 15,492
Realized gains	5,948	12,018	7,555
Realized losses	(7,317)	(5,274)	(8,621)
Investment and other (losses) gains – net	(1,369)	6,744	(1,066)
Debt securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income	15,181	14,593	13,387
Short-term investments, cash equivalents and other
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income	$ 1,669	$ 2,213	$ 2,105

This item represents the difference between the gross realized gains and losses realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. Additionally, this item would include any losses recognized for other than temporary impairments (OTTI) of the subject investments in debt and equity securities.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27357-111563

+ Details

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

- Definition

This item represents the gross profit realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

This item represents the gross loss realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount after accretion (amortization) of discount (premium), and investment expense, of interest income and dividend income on nonoperating securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.8)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.7(a),(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.9)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

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

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfFairValueOfSeparateAccountsByMajorCategoryOfInvestmentAxis=us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfFairValueOfSeparateAccountsByMajorCategoryOfInvestmentAxis=us-gaap_ShortTermInvestmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: