| **Segment Reporting Segment Reporting (Tables)**                                                                            | 3 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
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| **Segment Reporting [Abstract]**                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]                                                    | Selected financial information for our reportable segments is as follows (in millions): Inpatient Rehabilitation Home Health and Hospice Three Months Ended March 31,  Three Months Ended March 31,  2015 2014 2015 2014Net operating revenues$630.3 $584.5 $110.3 $6.7Less: Provision for doubtful accounts(11.0) (7.4) (0.6) (0.1)Net operating revenues less provision for doubtful accounts619.3 577.1 109.7 6.6Operating expenses:       Inpatient rehabilitation:       Salaries and benefits306.4 280.9 — —Other operating expenses95.2 82.7 — —Supplies29.8 27.5 — —Occupancy costs10.4 10.4 — —Home health and hospice:       Cost of services sold (excluding depreciation and amortization)— — 53.4 4.2Support and overhead costs— — 38.1 1.7 441.8 401.5 91.5 5.9Other income(0.5) (1.7) — —Equity in net income of nonconsolidated affiliates(1.6) (4.3) — —Noncontrolling interests15.2 14.7 1.3 0.1Segment Adjusted EBITDA$164.4 $166.9 $16.9 $0.6        Capital expenditures$26.3 $63.6 $0.3 $— |
| Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated [Table Text Block]                                                    |  Inpatient Rehabilitation Home Health and Hospice HealthSouth ConsolidatedAs of March 31, 2015     Total assets$2,762.5 $879.7 $3,577.9Investments in and advances to nonconsolidated affiliates9.1 — 9.1As of December 31, 2014     Total assets$2,596.8 $876.3 $3,408.8Investments in and advances to nonconsolidated affiliates9.4 — 9.4 March 31, 2015 December 31, 2014Total assets for reportable segments$3,642.2 $3,473.1Reclassification of noncurrent deferred income tax liabilities to net noncurrent deferred income tax assets(64.3) (64.3)Total consolidated assets$3,577.9 $3,408.8                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| Reconciliation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA to Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Tax Expense [Table Text Block] | Segment reconciliations (in millions): Three Months Ended March 31,  2015 2014Total segment Adjusted EBITDA$181.3 $167.5General and administrative expenses(34.6) (30.7)Depreciation and amortization(31.9) (26.4)Gain (loss) on disposal or impairment of assets1.5 (1.3)Government, class action, and related settlements(8.0) —Professional fees - accounting, tax, and legal(2.2) (1.6)Loss on early extinguishment of debt(1.2) —Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees(31.8) (27.9)Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests16.5 14.8Income from continuing operations before income tax expense$89.6 $94.4                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| Reconciliation of Revenue from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]                                                  | Additional detail regarding the revenues of our operating segments by service line follows (in millions): Three Months Ended March 31,  2015 2014Inpatient rehabilitation:   Inpatient$606.6 $558.2Outpatient and other23.7 26.3Total inpatient rehabilitation630.3 584.5Home health and hospice:   Home health103.9 6.7Hospice6.4 —Total home health and hospice110.3 6.7Total net operating revenues$740.6 $591.2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |

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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of all significant reconciling items in the reconciliation segment adjusted EBITDA to income from continuing operations before income tax expense.
+ References
No definition available.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of all significant reconciling items in the reconciliation of total assets from reportable segments to the entity's consolidated assets.
+ References
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of all significant reconciling items in the reconciliation of total revenues from reportable segments to the entity's consolidated revenues.
+ References
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the profit or loss and total assets for each reportable segment. An entity discloses certain information on each reportable segment if the amounts (a) are included in the measure of segment profit or loss reviewed by the chief operating decision maker or (b) are otherwise regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker, even if not included in that measure of segment profit or loss.
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