| **Earnings per Common Share**     | 3 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         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| **Earnings Per Share [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          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| Earnings per Common Share         | Earnings per Common ShareIn conjunction with the initiation of quarterly cash dividends in the third quarter of 2013, we revised our calculation to present earnings per share using the two-class method. The two-class method should have been used during all prior periods. We assessed the materiality of these revisions and concluded they were not material to any previously issued financial statements. The revision for the three months ended March 31, 2013 is presented below.  2013  First QuarterBasic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders, as reported:  Continuing operations $0.49Discontinued operations —Net income $0.49Basic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders as revised using the two-class method:  Continuing operations $0.48Discontinued operations —Net income $0.48The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per common share (in millions, except per share amounts): Three Months Ended March 31, 2014 2013Basic:   Numerator:   Income from continuing operations$61.6 $66.3Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests included in continuing operations(14.8) (14.6)Less: Income allocated to participating securities(0.5) (0.8)Less: Convertible perpetual preferred stock dividends(1.6) (5.7)Income from continuing operations attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders44.7 45.2Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax, attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders(0.1) (0.4)Net income attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders$44.6 $44.8Denominator:   Basic weighted average common shares outstanding87.3 94.0Basic earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders:   Continuing operations$0.51 $0.48Discontinued operations— —Net income$0.51 $0.48    Diluted:   Numerator:   Income from continuing operations$61.6 $66.3Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests included in continuing operations(14.8) (14.6)Add: Interest on convertible debt, net of tax2.2 —Income from continuing operations attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders49.0 51.7Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax, attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders(0.1) (0.4)Net income attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders$48.9 $51.3Denominator:   Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding100.9 107.1Diluted earnings per share attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders:   Continuing operations$0.48 $0.48Discontinued operations— —Net income$0.48 $0.48The 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 March 31, 2014 2013Basic weighted average common shares outstanding87.3 94.0Convertible perpetual preferred stock3.2 11.6Convertible senior subordinated notes8.1 —Restricted stock awards, dilutive stock options, and restricted stock units2.3 1.5Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding100.9 107.1For the three months ended March 31, 2013, adding back the dividends for the Convertible perpetual preferred stock to Income from continuing operations attributable to HealthSouth common shareholders causes a per share increase when calculating diluted earnings per common share resulting in an antidilutive per share amount. Therefore, basic and diluted earnings per common share are the same for the three months ended March 31, 2013. Options to purchase approximately 0.1 million and 1.4 million shares of common stock were outstanding as of March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, but were not included in the computation of diluted weighted-average shares because to do so would have been antidilutive.On February 14, 2014, our board of directors approved an increase in our existing common stock repurchase authorization from $200 million to $250 million. The repurchase authorization does not require the repurchase of a specific number of shares, has an indefinite term, and is subject to termination at any time by our board of directors. During the first quarter of 2014, we repurchased 0.8 million shares of our common stock in the open market for $26.3 million using cash on hand.On February 14, 2014, our board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.18 per share that was paid on April 15, 2014 to stockholders of record on April 1, 2014. As of March 31, 2014, accrued common stock dividends of $16.1 million were included in Accrued expenses and other current liabilities in our condensed consolidated balance sheet. Future dividend payments are subject to declaration by our board of directors. As discussed more fully in Note 10, Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock, to the consolidated financial statements accompanying the 2013 Form 10-K, the agreement underlying our preferred stock includes antidilutive protection that requires adjustments to the number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion and the exercise price for common stock upon the occurrence of certain events, including payment of cash dividends on our common stock after a de minimis threshold. At issuance, the preferred stock had a conversion price of $30.50 per share, which was equal to an initial conversion rate of 32.7869 shares of common stock per share of preferred stock. Additionally, our convertible notes (see Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the consolidated financial statements accompanying the 2013 Form 10‑K) also includes similar antidilutive protection that requires adjustments to the number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion and the exercise price for common stock upon the occurrence of certain events, including payment of cash dividends on our common stock after a de minimis threshold. At issuance, the convertible notes had a conversion price of $39.65 per share, which was equal to an initial conversion rate of 25.2194 shares per $1,000 principal amount of the convertible notes.The payment in January of an $0.18 per share dividend on our common stock triggered the antidilutive adjustment for the preferred stock. As of January 3, 2014, the resulting exercise price of each share of preferred stock was $30.17, and the resulting conversion rate was 33.1455 for each preferred share. The payment in April of an $0.18 per share dividend on our common stock triggered the antidilutive adjustment for the preferred stock and the convertible notes. As of April 2, 2014, the resulting exercise price of each preferred stock and convertible note was $30.01 and $39.23 per share, respectively, and the resulting conversion rate was 33.3222 and 25.4896 for each preferred share and convertible note, respectively.In January 2004, we repaid our then-outstanding 3.25% Convertible Debentures using the net proceeds of a loan arranged by Credit Suisse First Boston. In connection with this transaction, we issued ten million warrants with an expiration date of January 16, 2014 to the lender to purchase shares of our common stock. The following table summarizes information relating to these warrants and their activity from December 31, 2013 through their expiration date (number of warrants in millions): Number of Warrants Weighted Average Exercise PriceCommon stock warrants outstanding as of December 31, 20132.9 $32.50Cashless exercise(1.8) 32.16Cash exercise(1.0) 32.16Expired(0.1) 32.16Common stock warrants outstanding as of January 16, 2014—  The above exercises resulted in the issuance of 0.2 million shares of common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2014. Cash exercises resulted in gross proceeds of $6.3 million during the three months ended March 31, 2014. See Note 10, Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock, and Note 17, Earnings per Common Share, to the consolidated financial statements accompanying the 2013 Form 10-K for additional information related to common stock, common stock warrants, and convertible perpetual preferred stock. |

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The entire disclosure for earnings per share.
+ References
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