| **Business Combinations (Tables)**                                          | 3 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
||
| **Business Combinations [Abstract]**                                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| Schedule of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed at the Acquisition Date | The fair value of the assets acquired at the acquisition date were as follows (in millions):Property and equipment$5.1Identifiable intangible asset: Trade name (useful life of 20 years)0.2Goodwill1.8Total assets acquired$7.1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| Schedule of Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisitions                            | Information regarding the net cash paid was as follows (in millions): Three Months Ended March 31, 2016Fair value of assets acquired$5.3Goodwill1.8Fair value of noncontrolling interest owned by joint venture partner(7.1)Net cash paid for acquisition$—                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Summary of Actual and Pro Forma Results of Operations for Acquisitions      | The following table summarizes the results of operations of the above mentioned transaction from its respective date of acquisition included in our consolidated results of operations and the unaudited pro forma results of operations of the combined entity had the date of the acquisition been January 1, 2015 (in millions): Net Operating Revenues Net Income Attributable to HealthSouthAcquired entities only: Actual from acquisition date to March 31, 2016$0.3 $(0.7)Combined entity: Supplemental pro forma from 01/01/2016-03/31/2016910.1 58.0Combined entity: Supplemental pro forma from 01/01/2015-03/31/2015741.6 42.6 |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of pro forma results of operations for a material business acquisition or series of individually immaterial business acquisitions that are material in the aggregate.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (h)(2)-(3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56956515&loc=d3e1392-128463
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionProFormaInformationTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_BusinessCombinationsAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of acquisition of assets or a business through noncash (or part noncash) transactions. Noncash is defined as information about all investing and financing activities of an enterprise during a period that affect recognized assets or liabilities but that do not result in cash receipts or cash payments in the period. "Part noncash" refers to that portion of the transaction not resulting in cash receipts or cash payments in the period. Disclosure may include the equity interest acquired, value of assets acquired, value of liabilities acquired, net monetary assets acquired, number of shares, warrants or options issued as consideration for a business or asset acquired and other information necessary to a fair presentation.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4332-108586Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4313-108586Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4304-108586
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_ScheduleOfNoncashOrPartNoncashAcquisitionsTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the amounts recognized as of the acquisition date for each major class of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. May include but not limited to the following: (a) acquired receivables; (b) contingencies recognized at the acquisition date; and (c) the fair value of noncontrolling interests in the acquiree.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56956791&loc=d3e4845-128472
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_ScheduleOfRecognizedIdentifiedAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedTableTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |