Acquisitions and Divestitures (Acquisitions Narrative) (Details)				1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Nov. 03, 2014 USD ($) item	Oct. 01, 2014 USD ($) item	Apr. 01, 2014 USD ($) item	Jan. 27, 2014 USD ($) state item $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Changes, Purchase of Interest by Parent							$ 14,000,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill					$ 8,956,000,000		$ 8,956,000,000		$ 8,951,000,000
Business Combination Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Contingent Value Right, Amount Per Share | $ / shares					$ 1.00		$ 1.00
Senior Secured Notes at 5.125, Due 2021 [Member] | Senior Secured Notes [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount				$ 1,000,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				5.125%
Senior Notes at 6.875, Due 2022 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount				$ 3,000,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				6.875%
Lake Norman [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Changes, Purchase of Interest by Parent	$ 150,000,000
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired	30.00%
Upstate Carolina Medical Center [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Number of Licensed Hospital or Facility Beds | item	125
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	$ 4,000,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill					$ 0		$ 0
Novant [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition							Nov. 03, 2014
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities	$ 5,000,000
Natchez Regional Medical Center [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition							Oct. 01, 2014
Business Acquisition, Number of Licensed Hospital or Facility Beds | item		179
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price		$ 10,000,000
Prepayment of future property taxes		$ 8,000,000
Period of prepayment for future property taxes will be applied to the tax liability		17 years
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill					0		$ 0
Sharon Regional Health System [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition							Apr. 01, 2014
Business Acquisition, Number of Licensed Hospital or Facility Beds | item			258
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid for Fixed Assets			$ 67,000,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid for Working Capital			1,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities			9,000,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price			$ 77,000,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill					8,000,000		$ 8,000,000
Munroe Regional Medical Center [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition							Apr. 01, 2014
Business Acquisition, Number of Licensed Hospital or Facility Beds | item			421
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid for Fixed Assets			$ 192,000,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid for Working Capital			4,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities			11,000,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price			$ 207,000,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill					11,000,000		$ 11,000,000
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired			95.00%
Business Combination, Assumed Noncontrolling Interest, Fair Value			$ 10,000,000
Munroe Regional Medical Center [Member] | Affiliate of Regional Not-for-Profit Healthcare System [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners			5.00%
Health Management Associates, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs						$ 22,000,000	$ 1,000,000	$ 78,000,000
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition							Jan. 27, 2014
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill									$ 4,500,000,000
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 | $ / shares				$ 10.50
Business Combination Consideration Transferred Equity Interests Issued, Per Share | shares				0.06942
Business Combination Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Contingent Value Right, Number Per Share | item				1
Business Combination Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Contingent Value Right, Amount Per Share | $ / shares				$ 1.00
Business Acquisition, Number of Hospitals Acquired | item				71
Number of States in which Entity Operates | state				15
Excluding Health Management Associates Inc [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs					2,000,000	$ 6,000,000	$ 5,000,000	$ 8,000,000
Physician Practices Clinics and Other Ancillary Businesses [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid							21,000,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Property, Plant and Equipment					12,000,000		12,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill					$ 9,000,000		$ 9,000,000