| **Segment Reporting Segment Reporting (Tables)**                                                         | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
||
| **Segment Reporting [Abstract]**                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| Schedule of Selected Financial Information of Reportable Segments                                        | Selected financial information for our reportable segments is as follows (in millions): Inpatient Rehabilitation Home Health and Hospice For the Year Ended December 31, For the Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014Net operating revenues$3,021.1 $2,653.1 $2,377.3 $686.1 $509.8 $28.6Less: Provision for doubtful accounts(57.0) (44.7) (31.2) (4.2) (2.5) (0.4)Net operating revenues less provision for doubtful accounts2,964.1 2,608.4 2,346.1 681.9 507.3 28.2Operating expenses:           Inpatient rehabilitation:           Salaries and benefits1,493.4 1,310.6 1,141.0 — — —Other operating expenses431.5 387.7 342.5 — — —Supplies128.8 120.9 111.5 — — —Occupancy costs61.2 46.2 41.2 — — —Home health and hospice:           Cost of services sold (excluding depreciation and amortization)— — — 336.5 244.8 17.0Support and overhead costs— — — 237.2 172.7 6.9 2,114.9 1,865.4 1,636.2 573.7 417.5 23.9Other income(2.9) (2.3) (4.0) — — —Equity in net income of nonconsolidated affiliates(9.1) (8.6) (10.7) (0.7) (0.1) —Noncontrolling interests64.0 62.9 59.3 6.5 6.8 0.4Segment Adjusted EBITDA$797.2 $691.0 $665.3 $102.4 $83.1 $3.9            Capital expenditures$97.7 $151.7 $187.9 $6.5 $5.8 $— |
| Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated                                                    |  As of December 31, 2016 As of December 31, 2015Total assets for reportable segments$4,753.3 $4,677.4Reclassification of noncurrent deferred income tax liabilities to net noncurrent deferred income tax assets(71.4) (71.3)Total consolidated assets$4,681.9 $4,606.1 Inpatient Rehabilitation Home Health and Hospice HealthSouth ConsolidatedAs of December 31, 2016     Total assets$3,629.6 $1,123.7 $4,681.9Investments in and advances to nonconsolidated affiliates10.6 2.4 13.0As of December 31, 2015     Total assets$3,589.0 $1,088.4 $4,606.1Investments in and advances to nonconsolidated affiliates9.3 2.4 11.7                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| Reconciliation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA to Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Tax Expense | Segment reconciliations (in millions): For the Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014Total segment Adjusted EBITDA$899.6 $774.1 $669.2General and administrative expenses(133.4) (133.3) (124.8)Depreciation and amortization(172.6) (139.7) (107.7)Loss on disposal or impairment of assets(0.7) (2.6) (6.7)Government, class action, and related settlements— (7.5) 1.7Professional fees - accounting, tax, and legal(1.9) (3.0) (9.3)Loss on early extinguishment of debt(7.4) (22.4) (13.2)Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees(172.1) (142.9) (109.2)Gain on consolidation of former equity method hospital— — 27.2Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests70.5 69.7 59.7Gain related to SCA equity interest— 3.2 —Income from continuing operations before income tax expense$482.0 $395.6 $386.9                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| Reconciliation of Revenue from Segments to Consolidated                                                  | Additional detail regarding the revenues of our operating segments by service line follows (in millions): For the Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014Inpatient rehabilitation:     Inpatient$2,905.5 $2,547.2 $2,272.5Outpatient and other115.6 105.9 104.8Total inpatient rehabilitation3,021.1 2,653.1 2,377.3Home health and hospice:     Home health635.2 478.1 28.6Hospice50.9 31.7 —Total home health and hospice686.1 509.8 28.6Total net operating revenues$3,707.2 $3,162.9 $2,405.9                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of all significant reconciling items in the reconciliation of total assets from reportable segments to the entity's consolidated assets.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 30 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8906-108599Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 31 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8924-108599
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_ReconciliationOfAssetsFromSegmentToConsolidatedTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of each significant reconciling item, other than profit (loss), revenues, or assets, in the reconciliation of totals of such items in reportable segments to the entity's corresponding consolidated amount.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 30 -Subparagraph (d) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8906-108599Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 31 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8924-108599
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_ReconciliationOfOtherSignificantReconcilingItemsFromSegmentsToConsolidatedTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of all significant reconciling items in the reconciliation of total revenues from reportable segments to the entity's consolidated revenues.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 31 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8924-108599Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 30 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8906-108599
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_ReconciliationOfRevenueFromSegmentsToConsolidatedTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - 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.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 30 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8906-108599Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 25 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8813-108599Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8721-108599Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 22 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8736-108599
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_ScheduleOfSegmentReportingInformationBySegmentTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_SegmentReportingAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |