| **Segment Reporting Segment Reporting (Tables)**                                                                            | 6 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
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| **Segment Reporting [Abstract]**                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]                                                    | Selected financial information for our reportable segments is as follows (in millions): Inpatient Rehabilitation Home Health and Hospice Three Months Ended June 30,  Six Months Ended June 30, Three Months Ended June 30,  Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015Net operating revenues$752.6 $645.3 $1,501.8 $1,275.6 $168.1 $119.1 $328.7 $229.4Less: Provision for doubtful accounts(14.5) (10.2) (30.1) (21.2) (0.9) (0.7) (1.8) (1.3)Net operating revenues less provision for doubtful accounts738.1 635.1 1,471.7 1,254.4 167.2 118.4 326.9 228.1Operating expenses:               Inpatient rehabilitation:               Salaries and benefits366.1 317.6 736.0 624.0 — — — —Other operating expenses106.8 93.5 211.6 188.7 — — — —Supplies31.8 29.9 64.2 59.7 — — — —Occupancy costs15.4 10.7 31.0 21.1 — — — —Home health and hospice:               Cost of services sold (excluding depreciation and amortization)— — — — 81.6 56.7 160.0 110.1Support and overhead costs— — — — 58.0 41.0 115.0 79.1 520.1 451.7 1,042.8 893.5 139.6 97.7 275.0 189.2Other income(0.7) (0.4) (1.3) (0.9) — — — —Equity in net income of nonconsolidated affiliates(2.2) (2.3) (4.4) (3.9) (0.2) — (0.4) —Noncontrolling interests16.8 15.6 33.6 30.8 1.8 1.7 3.7 3.0Segment Adjusted EBITDA$204.1 $170.5 $401.0 $334.9 $26.0 $19.0 $48.6 $35.9                Capital expenditures$47.4 $33.1 $86.1 $59.4 $1.9 $1.9 $2.4 $2.2 |
| Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated [Table Text Block]                                                    |  Inpatient Rehabilitation Home Health and Hospice HealthSouth ConsolidatedAs of June 30, 2016     Total assets$3,612.4 $1,091.5 $4,632.6Investments in and advances to nonconsolidated affiliates10.8 2.8 13.6As 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 June 30, 2016 December 31, 2015Total assets for reportable segments$4,703.9 $4,677.4Reclassification of deferred income tax liabilities to net deferred income tax assets(71.3) (71.3)Total consolidated assets$4,632.6 $4,606.1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| Reconciliation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA to Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Tax Expense [Table Text Block] | Segment reconciliations (in millions): Three Months Ended June 30,  Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015Total segment Adjusted EBITDA$230.1 $189.5 $449.6 $370.8General and administrative expenses(34.4) (32.1) (66.3) (66.7)Depreciation and amortization(42.9) (32.7) (85.3) (64.6)(Loss) gain on disposal or impairment of assets(0.2) (0.8) (0.4) 0.7Government, class action, and related settlements— — — (8.0)Professional fees - accounting, tax, and legal(1.7) (0.1) (1.9) (2.3)Loss on early extinguishment of debt(2.4) (18.8) (4.8) (20.0)Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees(43.4) (30.9) (88.0) (62.7)Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests18.6 17.3 37.3 33.8Gain related to SCA equity interest— 2.6 — 2.6Income from continuing operations before income tax expense$123.7 $94.0 $240.2 $183.6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| Reconciliation of Revenue from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]                                                  | Additional detail regarding the revenues of our operating segments by service line follows (in millions): Three Months Ended June 30,  Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015Inpatient rehabilitation:       Inpatient$721.2 $618.7 $1,440.5 $1,225.3Outpatient and other31.4 26.6 61.3 50.3Total inpatient rehabilitation752.6 645.3 1,501.8 1,275.6Home health and hospice:       Home health157.1 111.5 308.0 215.4Hospice11.0 7.6 20.7 14.0Total home health and hospice168.1 119.1 328.7 229.4Total net operating revenues$920.7 $764.4 $1,830.5 $1,505.0                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |

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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of all significant reconciling items in the reconciliation segment adjusted EBITDA to income from continuing operations before income tax expense.
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Tabular disclosure of all significant reconciling items in the reconciliation of total assets from reportable segments to the entity's consolidated assets.
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Tabular disclosure of all significant reconciling items in the reconciliation of total revenues from reportable segments to the entity's consolidated revenues.
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| - 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.
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