| **Earnings per Common Share (Tables)**                          | 9 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
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| **Earnings Per Share [Abstract]**                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| Schedule of Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments      |   2013  First Quarter Second Quarter Six Months Ended June 30Basic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders, as reported:      Continuing operations $0.49 $1.85 $2.28Discontinued operations — — —Net income $0.49 $1.85 $2.28Basic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders as revised using the two-class method:      Continuing operations $0.48 $1.82 $2.24Discontinued operations — — —Net income $0.48 $1.82 $2.24  2012  First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter Full YearBasic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders, as reported:          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 $1.69Basic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders as revised using the two-class method:          Continuing operations $0.39 $0.38 $0.44 $0.41 $1.62Discontinued operations — 0.04 (0.01) 0.02 0.05Net income $0.39 $0.42 $0.43 $0.43 $1.67  2011  First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter Full YearBasic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders, as reported:          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 $1.96Basic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders as revised using the two-class method:          Continuing operations $0.58 $0.14 $0.17 $0.50 $1.39Discontinued operations 0.19 0.02 0.36 (0.05) 0.52Net income $0.77 $0.16 $0.53 $0.45 $1.91  Year Ended December 31,  2010 2009 2008Basic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders, as reported:      Continuing operations $9.31 $0.58 $2.34Discontinued operations 0.10 0.19 0.39Net income $9.41 $0.77 $2.73Basic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders as revised using the two-class method:      Continuing operations $9.20 $0.57 $2.31Discontinued operations 0.10 0.20 0.39Net income $9.30 $0.77 $2.70 |
| Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Common Share      | The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per common share (in millions, except per share amounts): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013 2012 2013 2012Basic:       Numerator:       Income from continuing operations$73.2 $60.4 $318.4 $174.0Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests included in continuing operations(14.1) (12.8) (42.5) (38.6)Less: Income allocated to participating securities(0.6) (0.6) (4.1) (1.6)Less: Convertible perpetual preferred stock dividends(5.7) (5.7) (17.2) (18.1)Less: Repurchase of convertible perpetual preferred stock— — — (0.8)Income from continuing operations attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders52.8 41.3 254.6 114.9(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax, attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders(0.9) (0.5) (1.2) 2.6Net income attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders$51.9 $40.8 $253.4 $117.5Denominator:       Basic weighted average common shares outstanding86.2 94.7 88.7 94.6Basic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders:       Continuing operations$0.61 $0.44 $2.87 $1.21Discontinued operations(0.01) (0.01) (0.01) 0.03Net income$0.60 $0.43 $2.86 $1.24        Diluted:       Numerator:       Income from continuing operations$73.2 $60.4 $318.4 $174.0Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests included in continuing operations(14.1) (12.8) (42.5) (38.6)Income from continuing operations attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders59.1 47.6 275.9 135.4(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax, attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders(0.9) (0.5) (1.2) 2.6Net income attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders$58.2 $47.1 $274.7 $138.0Denominator:       Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding100.4 108.1 102.4 108.2Diluted earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders:       Continuing operations$0.59 $0.44 $2.69 $1.21Discontinued operations(0.01) (0.01) (0.01) 0.03Net income$0.58 $0.43 $2.68 $1.24                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| Reconciliation of Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding | The following table sets forth the reconciliation between basic weighted average common shares outstanding and diluted weighted average common shares outstanding (in millions): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013 2012 2013 2012Basic weighted average common shares outstanding86.2 94.7 88.7 94.6Convertible perpetual preferred stock11.6 11.6 11.6 12.2Restricted stock awards, dilutive stock options, and restricted stock units2.6 1.8 2.1 1.4Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding100.4 108.1 102.4 108.2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |

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This table sets forth the reconciliation between basic weighted average common shares outstanding and diluted weighted average common shares outstanding.
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No definition available.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of an entity's basic and diluted earnings per share calculations, including a reconciliation of numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted per-share computations for income from continuing operations.
+ References
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of prior period adjustments to previously issued financial statements including (1) the effect of the correction on each financial statement line item and any per-share amounts affected for each prior period presented (2) the cumulative effect of the change on retained earnings or other appropriate components of equity or net assets in the statement of financial position, as of the beginning of the earliest period presented, and (3) the effect of the prior period adjustments (both gross and net of applicable income tax) on the net income of each prior period presented in the entity's annual report for the year in which the adjustments are made.
+ References
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