| **Quarterly Data (Unaudited) (Tables)**                   | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
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| **Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |   |
| Quarterly Data (Unaudited) Table                          |   2012  First Second Third Fourth Total  (In Millions, Except Per Share Data)Net operating revenues $538.6 $533.4 $537.0 $552.9 $2,161.9Operating earnings(a) 96.1 92.7 94.4 95.5 378.7Provision for income tax expense 29.1 26.9 28.1 24.5 108.6Income from continuing operations 57.2 56.4 60.4 57.4 231.4(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax (0.4) 3.5 (0.5) 1.9 4.5Net income 56.8 59.9 59.9 59.3 235.9Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (12.6) (13.2) (12.8) (12.3) (50.9)Net income attributable to HealthSouth $44.2 $46.7 $47.1 $47.0 $185.0Earnings per common share:          Basic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders: (b)          Continuing operations $0.40 $0.39 $0.44 $0.42 $1.65Discontinued operations (0.01) 0.04 — 0.02 0.04Net income $0.39 $0.43 $0.44 $0.44 $1.69Diluted earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders:(b)(c)          Continuing operations $0.40 $0.39 $0.44 $0.42 $1.65Discontinued operations (0.01) 0.04 — 0.02 0.04Net income $0.39 $0.43 $0.44 $0.44 $1.69 |   2011  First Second Third Fourth Total  (In Millions, Except Per Share Data)Net operating revenues $506.0 $505.1 $497.7 $518.1 $2,026.9Operating earnings(a) 89.3 90.9 79.1 92.1 351.4Provision for income tax (benefit) expense (7.4) 11.2 18.1 15.2 37.1Income from continuing operations 74.0 30.7 33.6 67.5 205.8Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax 17.5 1.6 34.7 (5.0) 48.8Net income 91.5 32.3 68.3 62.5 254.6Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (11.7) (10.4) (11.3) (12.5) (45.9)Net income attributable to HealthSouth $79.8 $21.9 $57.0 $50.0 $208.7Earnings per common share:          Basic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders:(b)          Continuing operations $0.60 $0.14 $0.17 $0.52 $1.42Discontinued operations 0.19 0.03 0.37 (0.05) 0.54Net income $0.79 $0.17 $0.54 $0.47 $1.96Diluted earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders:(c)          Continuing operations $0.57 $0.14 $0.17 $0.50 $1.42Discontinued operations 0.16 0.03 0.37 (0.04) 0.54Net income $0.73 $0.17 $0.54 $0.46 $1.96 |
| Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows Revision  | This revision is not material to the related financial statements for any prior periods and had no impact on our consolidated statements of cash flows. For the Three Months EndedMarch 31, For the Six Months EndedJune 30, 2012 2011 2012 2011HealthSouth Corporation$68.5 $55.5 $137.0 $113.7Guarantor Subsidiaries5.7 3.7 10.8 8.6Nonguarantor Subsidiaries7.3 1.0 7.3 2.0This revision is not material to the related financial statements for any prior periods and had no impact on our consolidated statements of cash flows. For the Year Ended December 31, 2011 2010HealthSouth Corporation$233.4 $194.8Guarantor Subsidiaries13.2 16.8Nonguarantor Subsidiaries4.0 4.0                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |

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| - Definition
A revision to our condensed consolidating statements of cash flows to adjust cash flows from operating activities to eliminate equity in earnings from affiliates, which is a noncash activity. The impact of this revision, along with other immaterial classification revisions, was to decrease cash flows from operating activities (and, correspondingly increase cash flows from financing activities) for HealthSouth Corporation, Guarantor Subsidiaries, and Nonguarantor Subsidiaries, with an offset to Eliminating Entries.
+ References
No definition available.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the quarterly financial data in the annual financial statements. The disclosure includes financial information for each fiscal quarter for the current and previous year, including revenues, gross profit, income (loss) before extraordinary items and cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle and earnings per share data.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 270 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a)-(j) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=20225539&loc=d3e1280-108306
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