Employee Benefit Plans	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plans Disclosure	11. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS The Company maintains various benefit plans, including defined contribution plans, defined benefit plans and deferred compensation plans, for which certain of the Company’s subsidiaries are the plan sponsors. The CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan is a defined contribution plan which covers the majority of the Company’s employees. Employees at these locations whose employment is covered by collective bargaining agreements are generally eligible to participate in the CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. Standard 401(k) Plan. Total expense to the Company under the 401(k) plans was $90 million, $94 million and $98 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and is recorded in salaries and benefits expense on the consolidated statements of loss. The Company maintains unfunded deferred compensation plans that allow participants to defer receipt of a portion of their compensation. The liability for the deferred compensation plans was $163 million and $189 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and is included in other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company had assets of $146 million and $173 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, in a non-qualified plan trust generally designated to pay benefits of the deferred compensation plans, consisting of equity securities of $32 million and $37 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and company-owned life insurance contracts of $114 million and $136 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company provides an unfunded Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”) for certain members of its executive management. The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for the benefit obligations and a January 1 measurement date for its net periodic costs for the SERP. Variances from actuarially assumed rates will result in increases or decreases in benefit obligations and net periodic cost in future periods. Benefits expense under the SERP was $9 million, $16 million and $12 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The accrued benefit liability for the SERP totaled $66 million and $83 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and is included in other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The weighted-average assumptions used in determining net periodic cost for the year ended December 31, 2018 was a discount rate of 3.4% and annual salary increase of 2.0%. The Company had equity securities in a rabbi trust generally designated to pay benefits of the SERP in the amounts of $74 million and $99 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. These amounts are included in other assets, net on the consolidated balance sheets. During the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, certain members of executive management of the Company that were participants in the SERP retired and met the requirements for payout of their SERP retirement benefit. The SERP payout provisions require payment to the participant in an actuarially determined lump sum amount six months after the participant retires from the Company. Such amounts were paid out of the rabbi trust. As required by the pension accounting rules in U.S. GAAP, the Company recognized a non-cash settlement loss of approximately $2 million and $6 million during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company maintains the CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. Retirement Income Plan (“Pension Plan”), which is a defined benefit, non-contributory pension plan that covers certain employees at three of its formerly owned hospitals. The Pension Plan provides benefits to covered individuals satisfying certain age and service requirements. Employer contributions to the Pension Plan are in accordance with the minimum funding requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended. The Company expects to make contributions of approximately $1 million to the Pension Plan in 2019. The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for the benefit obligations and a January 1 measurement date for its net periodic costs for the Pension Plan. Variances from actuarially assumed rates will result in increases or decreases in benefit obligations, net periodic cost and funding requirements in future periods. Benefits expense under the Pension Plan was less than $1 million for both of the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2016, and was $7 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The accrued benefit liability for the Pension Plan totaled $11 million and $12 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and is included in other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The weighted-average assumptions used for determining the net periodic cost for the year ended December 31, 2018 was a discount rate of 3.6% and the expected long-term rate of return on assets of 6.5%.

11. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The Company maintains various benefit plans, including defined contribution plans, defined benefit plans and deferred compensation plans, for which certain of the Company’s subsidiaries are the plan sponsors. The CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan is a defined contribution plan which covers the majority of the Company’s employees. Employees at these locations whose employment is covered by collective bargaining agreements are generally eligible to participate in the CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. Standard 401(k) Plan. Total expense to the Company under the 401(k) plans was $90 million, $94 million and $98 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and is recorded in salaries and benefits expense on the consolidated statements of loss.

The Company maintains unfunded deferred compensation plans that allow participants to defer receipt of a portion of their compensation. The liability for the deferred compensation plans was $163 million and $189 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and is included in other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company had assets of $146 million and $173 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, in a non-qualified plan trust generally designated to pay benefits of the deferred compensation plans, consisting of equity securities of $32 million and $37 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and company-owned life insurance contracts of $114 million and $136 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The Company provides an unfunded Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”) for certain members of its executive management. The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for the benefit obligations and a January 1 measurement date for its net periodic costs for the SERP. Variances from actuarially assumed rates will result in increases or decreases in benefit obligations and net periodic cost in future periods. Benefits expense under the SERP was $9 million, $16 million and $12 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The accrued benefit liability for the SERP totaled $66 million and $83 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and is included in other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The weighted-average assumptions used in determining net periodic cost for the year ended December 31, 2018 was a discount rate of 3.4% and annual salary increase of 2.0%. The Company had equity securities in a rabbi trust generally designated to pay benefits of the SERP in the amounts of $74 million and $99 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. These amounts are included in other assets, net on the consolidated balance sheets.

During the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, certain members of executive management of the Company that were participants in the SERP retired and met the requirements for payout of their SERP retirement benefit. The SERP payout provisions require payment to the participant in an actuarially determined lump sum amount six months after the participant retires from the Company. Such amounts were paid out of the rabbi trust. As required by the pension accounting rules in U.S. GAAP, the Company recognized a non-cash settlement loss of approximately $2 million and $6 million during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The Company maintains the CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. Retirement Income Plan (“Pension Plan”), which is a defined benefit, non-contributory pension plan that covers certain employees at three of its formerly owned hospitals. The Pension Plan provides benefits to covered individuals satisfying certain age and service requirements. Employer contributions to the Pension Plan are in accordance with the minimum funding requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended. The Company expects to make contributions of approximately $1 million to the Pension Plan in 2019. The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for the benefit obligations and a January 1 measurement date for its net periodic costs for the Pension Plan. Variances from actuarially assumed rates will result in increases or decreases in benefit obligations, net periodic cost and funding requirements in future periods. Benefits expense under the Pension Plan was less than $1 million for both of the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2016, and was $7 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The accrued benefit liability for the Pension Plan totaled $11 million and $12 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and is included in other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The weighted-average assumptions used for determining the net periodic cost for the year ended December 31, 2018 was a discount rate of 3.6% and the expected long-term rate of return on assets of 6.5%.