Acquisitions and Divestitures - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jul. 31, 2011 Meadow Wood Behavioral Health System Bed	Dec. 31, 2012 Auburn Regional Medical Center	Jan. 31, 2012 Hospital San Juan Capestrano Bed	Dec. 31, 2011 Monte Vista Bed	Dec. 31, 2011 Red Rock Hospital Bed	Jun. 30, 2013 Two Thousand Thirteen Divestiture of Assets and Businesses Peak Behavioral Health Services	Dec. 31, 2013 Two Thousand Thirteen Divestiture of Assets and Businesses Peak Behavioral Health Services	Dec. 31, 2012 2012 Divestiture of Assets and Businesses	Dec. 31, 2012 2012 Divestiture of Assets and Businesses Peak Behavioral Health Services Bed	Dec. 31, 2012 2012 Divestiture of Assets and Businesses Auburn Regional Medical Center Bed	Dec. 31, 2012 2012 Divestiture of Assets and Businesses Hospital San Juan Capestrano	Dec. 31, 2012 2012 Divestiture of Assets and Businesses Behavioral Health Care Facility Facility	Dec. 31, 2011 Two Thousand Eleven Divestiture of Assets and Businesses	Dec. 31, 2013 2013 Acquisitions of Assets and Businesses	Dec. 31, 2012 2012 Acquisitions of Assets and Businesses	Dec. 31, 2012 2012 Acquisitions of Assets and Businesses	Dec. 31, 2011 2012 Acquisitions of Assets and Businesses	Dec. 31, 2012 2012 Acquisitions of Assets and Businesses Ascend Health Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 2012 Acquisitions of Assets and Businesses Physician Practices and Various Real Property	Dec. 31, 2011 2011 Acquisitions of Assets and Businesses
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition, cash paid																	$ 13,000,000		$ 528,000,000		$ 503,000,000	$ 25,000,000	$ 29,000,000
Net cash proceeds from divestiture of assets and businesses									24,000,000	37,000,000	149,000,000		93,000,000	50,000,000	6,000,000	68,000,000
Aggregate pre-tax net gain on the divestiture	3,080,000	26,419,000	442,000		26,000,000				3,000,000	3,000,000
Pro forma net revenues																			7,110,000,000	6,900,000,000
Pro forma net income attributable to UHS																			464,000,000	401,000,000
Pro forma net income attributable to UHS per diluted share																			$ 4.74	$ 4.06
Transaction costs incurred																				5,000,000
Transaction costs incurred, per diluted share																				$ 0.06
Net revenues																		$ 42,000,000
Number of acute care hospital beds included in acquisition													159
Number of non-operating behavioral health facilities															2
Number of beds												104
Number of beds included in divestiture				58		108	101	21