Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 387,813	$ 129,865	$ 299,169	$ 344,541
Patient accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	2,067,379	1,834,167
Supplies	368,172	346,611
Prepaid income taxes	49,888	101,389
Deferred income taxes	117,045	89,797
Prepaid expenses and taxes	126,561	112,613
Other current assets	302,284	231,647
Total current assets	3,419,142	2,846,089
Property and equipment, net	7,151,873	6,855,976
Goodwill	4,408,138	4,264,845	4,150,247
Other assets, net	1,627,182	1,241,930
Total assets	16,606,335	15,208,840
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	89,911	63,706
Accounts payable	825,914	748,997
Accrued interest	110,702	110,121
Other accrued liabilities	1,116,693	988,315
Total current liabilities	2,143,220	1,911,139
Long-term debt	9,451,394	8,782,798
Deferred income taxes	808,489	704,725
Other long-term liabilities	1,039,045	949,990
Total liabilities	13,442,148	12,348,652
Redeemable noncontrolling interests in equity of consolidated subsidiaries	367,666	395,743
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock
Common stock	929	915
Additional paid-in capital	1,138,274	1,086,008
Treasury stock, at cost	(6,678)	(6,678)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	(145,310)	(184,479)	(230,927)
Retained earnings	1,743,992	1,501,330
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	2,731,207	2,397,096
Noncontrolling interests in equity of consolidated subsidiaries	65,314	67,349
Total equity	2,796,521	2,464,445	2,250,377	2,015,417
Total liabilities and equity	16,606,335	15,208,840
Parent Company [Member]
Current assets:
Prepaid income taxes	49,888	101,389
Deferred income taxes	117,045	89,797
Total current assets	166,933	191,186
Intercompany receivable	406,534	249,088
Net investment in subsidiaries	2,974,965	2,670,155
Total assets	3,548,432	3,110,429
Current liabilities:
Other accrued liabilities	7,580	7,580
Total current liabilities	7,580	7,580
Deferred income taxes	808,489	704,725
Other long-term liabilities	1,156	1,028
Total liabilities	817,225	713,333
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Common stock	929	915
Additional paid-in capital	1,138,274	1,086,008
Treasury stock, at cost	(6,678)	(6,678)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	(145,310)	(184,479)
Retained earnings	1,743,992	1,501,330
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	2,731,207	2,397,096
Total equity	2,731,207	2,397,096
Total liabilities and equity	3,548,432	3,110,429
Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Prepaid expenses and taxes	115	117
Other current assets		10,235
Total current assets	115	10,352
Intercompany receivable	9,837,904	9,294,301
Other assets, net	165,236	99,511
Net investment in subsidiaries	8,686,242	7,388,874
Total assets	18,689,497	16,793,038
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	75,679	49,954
Accounts payable	74	345
Accrued interest	110,091	109,984
Other accrued liabilities		567
Total current liabilities	185,844	160,850
Long-term debt	9,079,392	8,707,805
Intercompany payable	5,639,928	5,000,003
Other long-term liabilities	809,372	254,228
Total liabilities	15,714,536	14,122,886
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Additional paid-in capital	1,176,342	1,030,522
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	(145,310)	(184,479)
Retained earnings	1,943,929	1,824,109
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	2,974,961	2,670,152
Total equity	2,974,961	2,670,152
Total liabilities and equity	18,689,497	16,793,038
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	271,559	8,920	208,835	238,450
Patient accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	676,649	1,190,956
Supplies	254,853	237,178
Prepaid expenses and taxes	86,628	87,524
Other current assets	222,424	155,097
Total current assets	1,512,113	1,679,675
Intercompany receivable	3,723,120	1,046,486
Property and equipment, net	4,660,557	4,631,831
Goodwill	2,544,195	2,411,521
Other assets, net	1,273,347	515,882
Net investment in subsidiaries	3,427,182	2,317,131
Total assets	17,140,514	12,602,526
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	11,103	10,114
Accounts payable	583,865	535,204
Accrued interest	295	131
Other accrued liabilities	748,010	688,328
Total current liabilities	1,343,273	1,233,777
Long-term debt	53,201	54,651
Intercompany payable	11,693,119	7,843,539
Other long-term liabilities	675,341	435,295
Total liabilities	13,764,934	9,567,262
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Common stock	1	1
Additional paid-in capital	1,283,499	1,103,559
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	(28,927)	(21,687)
Retained earnings	2,121,007	1,953,391
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	3,375,580	3,035,264
Total equity	3,375,580	3,035,264
Total liabilities and equity	17,140,514	12,602,526
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	116,254	120,945	90,334	106,091
Patient accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	1,390,730	643,211
Supplies	113,319	109,433
Prepaid expenses and taxes	39,818	24,972
Other current assets	79,860	66,315
Total current assets	1,739,981	964,876
Intercompany receivable	3,262,823	1,774,718
Property and equipment, net	2,491,316	2,224,145
Goodwill	1,863,943	1,853,324
Other assets, net	816,373	626,537
Total assets	10,174,436	7,443,600
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	3,129	3,638
Accounts payable	241,975	213,448
Accrued interest	316	6
Other accrued liabilities	361,103	291,840
Total current liabilities	606,523	508,932
Long-term debt	318,801	20,342
Intercompany payable	7,822,313	6,108,561
Other long-term liabilities	180,950	259,439
Total liabilities	8,928,587	6,897,274
Redeemable noncontrolling interests in equity of consolidated subsidiaries	367,666	395,743
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Common stock	2	2
Additional paid-in capital	690,929	30,047
Retained earnings	121,938	53,185
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	812,869	83,234
Noncontrolling interests in equity of consolidated subsidiaries	65,314	67,349
Total equity	878,183	150,583
Total liabilities and equity	10,174,436	7,443,600
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Intercompany receivable	(17,230,381)	(12,364,593)
Other assets, net	(627,774)
Net investment in subsidiaries	(15,088,389)	(12,376,160)
Total assets	(32,946,544)	(24,740,753)
Current liabilities:
Intercompany payable	(25,155,360)	(18,952,103)
Other long-term liabilities	(627,774)
Total liabilities	(25,783,134)	(18,952,103)
Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Common stock	(3)	(3)
Additional paid-in capital	(3,150,770)	(2,164,128)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	174,237	206,166
Retained earnings	(4,186,874)	(3,830,685)
Total Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity	(7,163,410)	(5,788,650)
Total equity	(7,163,410)	(5,788,650)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (32,946,544)	$ (24,740,753)