Acquisitions and Divestitures (Acqusitions Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended						0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	8 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Jan. 27, 2014 state item	Dec. 31, 2013	Jan. 27, 2014 Senior Secured Notes at 5.125, Due 2021 [Member] Senior Secured Notes [Member]	Jan. 27, 2014 Senior Notes at 6.875, Due 2022 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Apr. 01, 2014 Sharon Regional Health System [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Sharon Regional Health System [Member]	Apr. 01, 2014 Sharon Regional Health System [Member] item	Apr. 01, 2014 Munroe Regional Medical Center [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Munroe Regional Medical Center [Member]	Apr. 01, 2014 Munroe Regional Medical Center [Member] item	Apr. 01, 2014 Munroe Regional Medical Center [Member] Affiliate of Regional Not-for-Profit Healthcare System [Member]	Jan. 27, 2014 Health Management Associates, Inc. [Member] item state	Sep. 30, 2014 Health Management Associates, Inc. [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Health Management Associates, Inc. [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Health Management Associates, Inc. [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Physician Practices Clinics and Other Ancillary Businesses [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs	$ 13,000,000	$ 5,000,000	$ 99,000,000	$ 10,000,000														$ 68,000,000
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition										Apr. 01, 2014			Apr. 01, 2014					Jan. 27, 2014
Business Acquisition, Number of Licensed Hospital or Facility Beds											258			421
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid for Fixed Assets											67,000,000			192,000,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid for Working Capital											1,000,000			4,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities											8,000,000			11,000,000			5,649,000,000	5,649,000,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price									76,000,000			207,000,000						3,531,000,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill	8,936,000,000		8,936,000,000			4,424,000,000				8,000,000			17,000,000				4,484,000,000	4,484,000,000		3,000,000
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired														95.00%
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners															5.00%
Business Combination, Assumed Noncontrolling Interest, Fair Value	31,000,000		31,000,000											10,000,000			355,000,000	355,000,000
Business Combination Consideration Transferred And Existing Indebtedness Assumed																7,300,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Liabilities, Long-term Debt																3,800,000,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross, Per Share																$ 10.50
Business Combination Consideration Transferred Equity Interests Issued, Per Share																0.06942
Business Combination Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Contingent Value Right, Number Per Share																1
Business Combination Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Contingent Value Right, Amount Per Share	$ 1.00		$ 1.00													$ 1.00
Business Acquisition, Number of Hospitals Acquired																71
Number of States in which Entity Operates					29											15
Number of Hospitals Owned and Leased by the Company					206
Debt Instrument, Face Amount							1,000,000,000	3,000,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage							5.125%	6.875%
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Revenue of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual																	3,900,000,000
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Earnings or Loss of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual																	388,000,000
Loss from early extinguishment of debt			73,000,000	1,000,000
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt, Net of Tax			45,000,000	1,000,000
Extinguishment of Debt, Gain (Loss), Per Share, Net of Tax			$ 0.40
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Other Nonoperating Expense, Before Tax																			112,000,000
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Other Nonoperating Expense, Net of Tax																			70,000,000
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Other Nonoperating Expense, Diluted																			$ 0.63
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid																		2,778,000,000		6,000,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Property, Plant and Equipment																	$ 3,241,000,000	$ 3,241,000,000		$ 3,000,000