| **Income Taxes (Tables)**                                     | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
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| **Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]**                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit)        | The significant components of the Provision for income tax expense (benefit) related to continuing operations are as follows (in millions): For the Year Ended December 31, 2011 2010 2009Current:     Federal$1.4 $1.3 $1.8State and local(0.8) 1.6 (8.8)Total current expense (benefit)0.6 2.9 (7.0)Deferred:     Federal48.2 (682.2) 3.0State and local(11.7) (61.5) 1.1Total deferred expense (benefit)36.5 (743.7) 4.1Total income tax expense (benefit) related to continuing operations$37.1 $(740.8) $(2.9)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation          | A reconciliation of differences between the federal income tax at statutory rates and our actual income tax expense (benefit) on our income from continuing operations, which include federal, state, and other income taxes, is presented below: For the Year Ended December 31, 2011 2010 2009Tax expense at statutory rate35.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 %Increase (decrease) in tax rate resulting from:     State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit3.0 % 4.7 % 4.0 %Decrease in valuation allowance(11.6)% (431.5)% (22.3)%Settlement of tax claims(7.2)% 13.2 % (6.6)%Noncontrolling interests(6.5)% (8.3)% (10.8)%Adjustments to net operating loss carryforwards2.9 % — % — %Interest, net(1.6)% (0.8)% (1.2)%Other, net1.3 % (2.4)% (0.8)%Income tax expense (benefit)15.3 % (390.1)% (2.7)%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Schedule of Components of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities | The significant components of HealthSouth’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in millions): As of December 31, 2011 2010Deferred income tax assets:   Net operating loss$540.5 $628.8Property, net49.8 49.1Insurance reserve36.1 37.6Stock-based compensation22.7 19.9Allowance for doubtful accounts12.7 12.6Alternative minimum tax13.4 13.4Carrying value of partnerships10.4 15.6Other accruals16.1 21.9Capital losses4.1 11.8Intangibles— 9.6Total deferred income tax assets705.8 820.3Less: Valuation allowance(50.3) (112.7)Net deferred income tax assets655.5 707.6Deferred income tax liabilities:   Intangibles(20.5) —Other(0.3) (0.2)Total deferred income tax liabilities(20.8) (0.2)Net deferred income tax assets634.7 707.4Less: Current deferred tax assets26.6 28.1Noncurrent deferred tax assets$608.1 $679.3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Schedule of Unrecognized Tax Benefits Rollforward             | A reconciliation of the beginning and ending liability for unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in millions): Gross Unrecognized Income Tax Benefits Accrued Interest and PenaltiesJanuary 1, 2009$61.1 $2.9Gross amount of increases in unrecognized tax benefits related to prior periods0.1 0.1Increases in unrecognized tax benefits relating to settlements with taxing authorities2.7 —Decreases in unrecognized tax benefits relating to settlements with taxing authorities(8.5) —Reductions to unrecognized tax benefits as a result of a lapse of the applicable statute of limitations(4.5) (1.1)December 31, 200950.9 1.9Gross amount of increases in unrecognized tax benefits related to prior periods96.1 0.1Gross amount of decreases in unrecognized tax benefits related to prior periods(37.5) —Decreases in unrecognized tax benefits relating to settlements with taxing authorities(93.0) —Reductions to unrecognized tax benefits as a result of a lapse of the applicable statute of limitations(3.9) (0.9)December 31, 201012.6 1.1Gross amount of increases in unrecognized tax benefits related to prior periods19.8 —Gross amount of decreases in unrecognized tax benefits related to prior periods(3.0) —Decreases in unrecognized tax benefits relating to settlements with taxing authorities(20.2) —Reductions to unrecognized tax benefits as a result of a lapse of the applicable statute of limitations(3.2) (1.0)December 31, 2011$6.0 $0.1 |

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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the components of income tax expense attributable to continuing operations for each year presented including, but not limited to: current tax expense (benefit), deferred tax expense (benefit), investment tax credits, government grants, the benefits of operating loss carryforwards, tax expense that results from allocating certain tax benefits either directly to contributed capital or to reduce goodwill or other noncurrent intangible assets of an acquired entity, adjustments of a deferred tax liability or asset for enacted changes in tax laws or rates or a change in the tax status of the entity, and adjustments of the beginning-of-the-year balances of a valuation allowance because of a change in circumstances that causes a change in judgment about the realizability of the related deferred tax asset in future years.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the components of net deferred tax asset or liability recognized in an entity's statement of financial position, including the following: the total of all deferred tax liabilities, the total of all deferred tax assets, the total valuation allowance recognized for deferred tax assets.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the reconciliation using percentage or dollar amounts of the reported amount of income tax expense attributable to continuing operations for the year to the amount of income tax expense that would result from applying domestic federal statutory tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of tax positions taken in the tax returns filed or to be filed for which it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities (i.e., uncertain tax positions) and other types of income tax contingencies, including: (1) the policy on classification of interest and penalties; (2) a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits at the beginning and end of the period; the total amount(s) of: (3) unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate, and (4) interest and penalties recognized in each of the income statement and balance sheet; (5) for positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts unrecognized will significantly change within 12 months of the reporting date the: (i) nature of the uncertainty, (ii) nature of the event that could occur that would cause the change, and (iii) an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible change or a statement that an estimate of the range cannot be made; and (6) a description of tax years that remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions.
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