Acquisitions and Divestitures (Acqusitions Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2012 Memorial Health Systems [Member] item	Sep. 30, 2013 Memorial Health Systems [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Diagnostic Clinic of Longview [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Diagnostic Clinic of Longview [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Metro South Medical Center [Member] item	Sep. 30, 2013 Metro South Medical Center [Member]	Jan. 31, 2012 Moses Taylor Healthcare [Member] item	Sep. 30, 2013 Moses Taylor Healthcare [Member]	Jan. 31, 2012 Moses Taylor Hospital [Member] item	Jan. 31, 2012 Mid-Valley Hospital [Member] item	Sep. 30, 2013 Physician Practices Clinics and Other Ancillary Businesses [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Health Management Associates, Inc. [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Health Management Associates, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition							Jul. 01, 2012		Mar. 05, 2012		Mar. 01, 2012		Jan. 01, 2012
Business Acquisition, Number of Licensed Hospital or Facility Beds						100				330				217	25
Business Acquisition, Maximum Number of Years for Completion of Replacement Hospital Construction						5 years
Other Commitment						$ 75,000,000
Business Acquisition, Number of Hospitals Acquired												2
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid for Fixed Assets						45,000,000				39,300,000		151,100,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid for Working Capital						2,600,000				(900,000)		13,100,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Liabilities Assumed						12,500,000		6,900,000		5,800,000		9,400,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price						60,100,000		59,200,000		44,200,000		173,600,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill	4,437,260,000		4,437,260,000		4,408,138,000		10,900,000		41,800,000		0		54,600,000			28,900,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid								52,300,000								28,800,000
Business Combination, Assumed Noncontrolling Interest, Fair Value	4,599,000		4,599,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Property, Plant and Equipment																5,900,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation Net Working Capital																(200,000)
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs	$ 5,400,000	$ 2,500,000	$ 10,100,000	$ 9,100,000													$ 4,200,000	$ 5,300,000