Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 129,298	$ 129,865	$ 270,716	$ 299,169
Patient accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	2,019,537	1,834,167
Supplies	354,074	346,611
Deferred income taxes	89,797	89,797
Prepaid expenses and taxes	178,923	214,002
Other current assets	328,847	231,647
Total current assets	3,100,476	2,846,089
Property and equipment, net	7,001,863	6,855,976
Goodwill	4,367,841	4,264,845
Other assets, net of accumulated amortization	1,376,236	1,241,930
Total assets	15,846,416	15,208,840
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	75,388	63,706
Accounts payable	822,247	748,997
Accrued interest	101,156	110,121
Accrued liabilities	997,618	988,315
Total current liabilities	1,996,409	1,911,139
Long-term debt	9,243,616	8,782,798
Deferred income taxes	704,725	704,725
Other long-term liabilities	986,022	949,990
Total liabilities	12,930,772	12,348,652
Redeemable noncontrolling interests in equity of consolidated subsidiaries	363,540	395,743
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock
Common stock	919	915
Additional paid-in capital	1,089,447	1,086,008
Treasury stock, at cost, 975,549 shares at March 31,2012 and December 31, 2011	(6,678)	(6,678)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	(170,136)	(184,479)
Retained earnings	1,576,804	1,501,330
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	2,490,356	2,397,096
Noncontrolling interests in equity of consolidated subsidiaries	61,748	67,349
Total equity	2,552,104	2,464,445
Total liabilities and equity	15,846,416	15,208,840
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Deferred income taxes	89,797	89,797
Prepaid expenses and taxes	49,769	101,389
Total current assets	139,566	191,186
Intercompany receivable	1,217,652	1,160,785
Net investment in subsidiaries	1,848,287	1,758,458
Total assets	3,205,505	3,110,429
Current liabilities:
Accrued liabilities	7,580	7,580
Total current liabilities	7,580	7,580
Deferred income taxes	704,725	704,725
Other long-term liabilities	2,844	1,028
Total liabilities	715,149	713,333
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock
Common stock	919	915
Additional paid-in capital	1,089,447	1,086,008
Treasury stock, at cost, 975,549 shares at March 31,2012 and December 31, 2011	(6,678)	(6,678)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	(170,136)	(184,479)
Retained earnings	1,576,804	1,501,330
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	2,490,356	2,397,096
Total equity	2,490,356	2,397,096
Total liabilities and equity	3,205,505	3,110,429
Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Prepaid expenses and taxes	67	117
Other current assets		10,235
Total current assets	67	10,352
Intercompany receivable	9,144,874	9,294,295
Other assets, net of accumulated amortization	133,393	99,521
Net investment in subsidiaries	7,131,830	6,413,757
Total assets	16,410,164	15,817,925
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	56,329	49,954
Accounts payable	1,982	345
Accrued interest	100,941	109,984
Accrued liabilities	0	567
Total current liabilities	159,252	160,850
Long-term debt	8,869,202	8,707,805
Intercompany payable	5,295,699	4,936,587
Other long-term liabilities	237,739	254,228
Total liabilities	14,561,892	14,059,470
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock
Common stock		0
Additional paid-in capital	760,940	701,399
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	(170,136)	(184,479)
Retained earnings	1,257,468	1,241,535
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	1,848,272	1,758,455
Total equity	1,848,272	1,758,455
Total liabilities and equity	16,410,164	15,817,925
Other Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	18,404	14,536	239,694	212,035
Patient accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	585,904	1,088,121
Supplies	228,702	215,203
Prepaid expenses and taxes	96,916	83,983
Other current assets	247,017	141,192
Total current assets	1,176,943	1,543,035
Intercompany receivable	2,309,599	1,741,928
Property and equipment, net	4,612,206	4,395,498
Goodwill	2,511,418	2,412,517
Other assets, net of accumulated amortization	1,021,362	523,645
Net investment in subsidiaries	3,054,704	2,450,625
Total assets	14,686,232	13,067,248
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	15,032	9,625
Accounts payable	569,299	511,145
Accrued interest	129	131
Accrued liabilities	673,039	662,746
Total current liabilities	1,257,499	1,183,647
Long-term debt	49,271	49,184
Intercompany payable	10,670,064	9,290,461
Other long-term liabilities	482,689	433,119
Total liabilities	12,459,523	10,956,411
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock
Common stock	1	1
Additional paid-in capital	846,210	769,841
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	(17,880)	(21,687)
Retained earnings	1,398,378	1,362,682
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	2,226,709	2,110,837
Total equity	2,226,709	2,110,837
Total liabilities and equity	14,686,232	13,067,248
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	110,894	115,329	31,022	87,134
Patient accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	1,433,633	746,046
Supplies	125,372	131,408
Prepaid expenses and taxes	32,171	28,513
Other current assets	81,830	80,220
Total current assets	1,783,900	1,101,516
Intercompany receivable	1,997,851	1,672,003
Property and equipment, net	2,389,657	2,460,478
Goodwill	1,856,423	1,852,328
Other assets, net of accumulated amortization	221,481	618,764
Net investment in subsidiaries		0
Total assets	8,249,312	7,705,089
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	4,027	4,127
Accounts payable	250,966	237,507
Accrued interest	86	6
Accrued liabilities	316,999	317,422
Total current liabilities	572,078	559,062
Long-term debt	325,143	25,809
Intercompany payable	5,875,570	6,229,469
Other long-term liabilities	262,750	261,615
Total liabilities	7,035,541	7,075,955
Redeemable noncontrolling interests in equity of consolidated subsidiaries	363,540	395,743
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock
Common stock	2	2
Additional paid-in capital	658,685	59,941
Retained earnings	129,796	106,099
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	788,483	166,042
Noncontrolling interests in equity of consolidated subsidiaries	61,748	67,349
Total equity	850,231	233,391
Total liabilities and equity	8,249,312	7,705,089
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Intercompany receivable	(14,669,976)	(13,869,011)
Net investment in subsidiaries	(12,034,821)	(10,622,840)
Total assets	(26,704,797)	(24,491,851)
Current liabilities:
Intercompany payable	(21,841,333)	(20,456,517)
Total liabilities	(21,841,333)	(20,456,517)
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock
Common stock	(3)	(3)
Additional paid-in capital	(2,265,835)	(1,531,181)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	188,016	206,166
Retained earnings	(2,785,642)	(2,710,316)
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	(4,863,464)	(4,035,334)
Total equity	(4,863,464)	(4,035,334)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (26,704,797)	$ (24,491,851)