Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Income Taxes Disclosure	6. INCOME TAXES The total amount of unrecognized benefit that would impact the effective tax rate, if recognized, was approximately $7 million as of March 31, 2018. A total of approximately $4 million of interest and penalties is included in the amount of the liability for uncertain tax positions at March 31, 2018. It is the Company’s policy to recognize interest and penalties related to unrecognized benefits in its condensed consolidated statements of loss as income tax expense. It is possible the amount of unrecognized tax benefit could change in the next 12 months as a result of a lapse of the statute of limitations and settlements with taxing authorities; however, the Company does not anticipate the change will have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated results of operations or condensed consolidated financial position. The Company, or one of its subsidiaries, files income tax returns in the United States federal jurisdiction and various state jurisdictions. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to state income tax examinations for years prior to 2014. The Company’s federal income tax returns for the 2009, 2010, 2014 and 2015 tax years are currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service. The Company believes the results of these examinations will not be material to its consolidated results of operations or consolidated financial position. The Company has extended the federal statute of limitations through December 31, 2018 for Community Health Systems, Inc. for the tax periods ended December 31, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, and through September 6, 2019 for the tax period ended December 31, 2014. The Company’s effective tax rates were 53.8% and 0.1% for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. This increase in the Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2018, when compared to the three months ended March 31, 2017, was primarily due to the release of a state valuation allowance of approximately $15 million as a result of an enacted tax law change partially offset by approximately $4 million of tax expense recognized on the tax deficiency from stock compensation expense for restricted stock vesting during the three months ended March 31, 2018. Additionally, the rate was impacted by a reduction in the amount of the non-deductible goodwill written off as part of the impairment and gain (loss) on sale of businesses for the three months ended March 31, 2018, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2017, and a disproportionate substantial increase in income from continuing operations before income taxes, when compared to the decrease in net income attributable to noncontrolling interest for those same periods, which is not tax affected in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds received, resulted in a net refund of less than $1 million and net cash paid of less than $1 million during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted the Tax Act, which makes broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code which impacted 2017, including a permanent reduction in the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% (“Rate Reduction”). The Tax Act also puts into place new tax laws that will apply prospectively, which include, but are not limited to (1) creating a new limitation on deductible interest expense; (2) changing rules related to uses and limitations of net operating loss carryforwards: and (3) modifying the rules governing the deductibility of certain executive compensation. In December 2017, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB 118”), which provides guidance on accounting for the tax effects of the Tax Act. SAB 118 provides a measurement period that should not extend beyond one year from the Tax Act’s enactment date for companies to complete the accounting under ASC 740. In accordance with SAB 118, a company must reflect the income tax effects of those aspects of the Tax Act for which the accounting under ASC 740 is complete. To the extent that a company’s accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Act is incomplete but it is able to determine a reasonable estimate, it must record a provisional estimate in the financial statements. If a company cannot determine a provisional estimate to be included in the financial statements, it should continue to apply ASC 740 on the basis of the provisions of the tax laws that were in effect immediately before the enactment of the Tax Act. The Company has not completed the accounting for the income tax effects of the Tax Act. At December 31, 2017, the Company recorded a discrete net tax expense of $32 million primarily related to provisional amounts under SAB 118 for the remeasurement of U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities due to Rate Reduction. No changes were recorded to this provisional estimate during the three months ended March 31, 2018. However, this estimate may differ from the final accounting as supplemental legislation, regulatory guidance or evolving technical interpretations become available. At March 31, 2018, the Company was not able to reasonably estimate and, therefore, has not recorded a provisional amount for the Tax Act’s impact on certain state valuation allowances. The Company will record a provisional amount in the first reporting period in which a reasonable estimate can be determined. Such timing will depend upon the Company’s ability to obtain, prepare and analyze the necessary information to determine whether a valuation allowance needs to be recognized.

6. INCOME TAXES

The total amount of unrecognized benefit that would impact the effective tax rate, if recognized, was approximately $7 million as of March 31, 2018. A total of approximately $4 million of interest and penalties is included in the amount of the liability for uncertain tax positions at March 31, 2018. It is the Company’s policy to recognize interest and penalties related to unrecognized benefits in its condensed consolidated statements of loss as income tax expense.

It is possible the amount of unrecognized tax benefit could change in the next 12 months as a result of a lapse of the statute of limitations and settlements with taxing authorities; however, the Company does not anticipate the change will have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated results of operations or condensed consolidated financial position.

The Company, or one of its subsidiaries, files income tax returns in the United States federal jurisdiction and various state jurisdictions. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to state income tax examinations for years prior to 2014. The Company’s federal income tax returns for the 2009, 2010, 2014 and 2015 tax years are currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service. The Company believes the results of these examinations will not be material to its consolidated results of operations or consolidated financial position. The Company has extended the federal statute of limitations through December 31, 2018 for Community Health Systems, Inc. for the tax periods ended December 31, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, and through September 6, 2019 for the tax period ended December 31, 2014.

The Company’s effective tax rates were 53.8% and 0.1% for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. This increase in the Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2018, when compared to the three months ended March 31, 2017, was primarily due to the release of a state valuation allowance of approximately $15 million as a result of an enacted tax law change partially offset by approximately $4 million of tax expense recognized on the tax deficiency from stock compensation expense for restricted stock vesting during the three months ended March 31, 2018. Additionally, the rate was impacted by a reduction in the amount of the non-deductible goodwill written off as part of the impairment and gain (loss) on sale of businesses for the three months ended March 31, 2018, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2017, and a disproportionate substantial increase in income from continuing operations before income taxes, when compared to the decrease in net income attributable to noncontrolling interest for those same periods, which is not tax affected in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds received, resulted in a net refund of less than $1 million and net cash paid of less than $1 million during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted the Tax Act, which makes broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code which impacted 2017, including a permanent reduction in the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% (“Rate Reduction”).

The Tax Act also puts into place new tax laws that will apply prospectively, which include, but are not limited to (1) creating a new limitation on deductible interest expense; (2) changing rules related to uses and limitations of net operating loss carryforwards: and (3) modifying the rules governing the deductibility of certain executive compensation.

In December 2017, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB 118”), which provides guidance on accounting for the tax effects of the Tax Act. SAB 118 provides a measurement period that should not extend beyond one year from the Tax Act’s enactment date for companies to complete the accounting under ASC 740. In accordance with SAB 118, a company must reflect the income tax effects of those aspects of the Tax Act for which the accounting under ASC 740 is complete. To the extent that a company’s accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Act is incomplete but it is able to determine a reasonable estimate, it must record a provisional estimate in the financial statements. If a company cannot determine a provisional estimate to be included in the financial statements, it should continue to apply ASC 740 on the basis of the provisions of the tax laws that were in effect immediately before the enactment of the Tax Act.

The Company has not completed the accounting for the income tax effects of the Tax Act. At December 31, 2017, the Company recorded a discrete net tax expense of $32 million primarily related to provisional amounts under SAB 118 for the remeasurement of U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities due to Rate Reduction. No changes were recorded to this provisional estimate during the three months ended March 31, 2018. However, this estimate may differ from the final accounting as supplemental legislation, regulatory guidance or evolving technical interpretations become available.

At March 31, 2018, the Company was not able to reasonably estimate and, therefore, has not recorded a provisional amount for the Tax Act’s impact on certain state valuation allowances. The Company will record a provisional amount in the first reporting period in which a reasonable estimate can be determined. Such timing will depend upon the Company’s ability to obtain, prepare and analyze the necessary information to determine whether a valuation allowance needs to be recognized.