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Long-Term Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Aug. 07, 2014
Jul. 31, 2014
Aug. 01, 2014
Jun. 30, 2008
Jun. 30, 2006
Oct. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Reduction of long-term debt $ 879,129,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt $ 440,224,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt $ 849,647,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt            
Costs related to extinguishment of debt 36,171,000us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAmount 0us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAmount 29,170,000us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAmount            
Rate adjustment to weighted average federal funds rate for credit facility borrowings 0.50%uhs_RateAdjustmentToFederalFundsRateWeightedAverage                
Rate adjustment to one month Eurodollar rate on credit facility borrowings 1.00%uhs_RateAdjustmentToOneMonthEurodollarRateOnCreditFacilityBorrowings                
Accounts receivable securitization program credit facility, amount outstanding 330,000,000us-gaap_PrincipalAmountOutstandingOnLoansSecuritized                
Effective interest rate 3.20%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage 3.60%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage 4.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage            
Long-term debt 3,210,215,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent 3,209,762,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent              
Fair value of debt 3,300,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue 3,400,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue              
Term Loan A | Quarterly installment payments commence in the fourth quarter of 2014 through September, 2016                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Scheduled principal payments made 11,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentPeriodicPaymentPrincipal
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/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
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Term Loan A | Quarterly installment payments after September, 2016                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Scheduled principal payments made 22,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentPeriodicPaymentPrincipal
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/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
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Term Loan B Facility                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Reduction of long-term debt       550,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
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Line of credit facility, maturity year       2016          
Term Loan-A and Term Loan A2 facilities                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Scheduled principal payments made 36,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentPeriodicPaymentPrincipal
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72,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentPeriodicPaymentPrincipal
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New Senior Secured Notes                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Senior notes, repayment terms Interest is payable on the New Senior Secured Notes on February 1 and August 1 of each year                
Senior notes, interest payment, commencement date Feb. 01, 2015                
ABR-based loans                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Current applicable margins 0.50%uhs_InterestRateMarginAdjustmentPercentage
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= uhs_AbrBasedLoansMember
               
Revolving Credit Facility                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Line of credit facility, borrowing capacity 800,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
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Line of credit facility amount outstanding 140,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCredit
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Current applicable margins 1.50%uhs_InterestRateMarginAdjustmentPercentage
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Line of credit facility, available borrowing capacity 640,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity
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Letters of credit, outstanding 20,000,000us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount
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Revolving Credit Facility | One Month Eurodollar Rate Plus Index Based Loans | Minimum                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Consolidated leverage ratio 0.50%uhs_ConsolidatedLeverageRatio
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/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
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= uhs_OneMonthEurodollarRatePlusIndexBasedLoansMember
               
Revolving Credit Facility | One Month Eurodollar Rate Plus Index Based Loans | Maximum                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Consolidated leverage ratio 1.25%uhs_ConsolidatedLeverageRatio
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/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
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= uhs_OneMonthEurodollarRatePlusIndexBasedLoansMember
               
Revolving Credit Facility | One Two Three Six Month Eurodollar Rate Plus Index Based Loans | Minimum                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Consolidated leverage ratio 1.50%uhs_ConsolidatedLeverageRatio
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Revolving Credit Facility | One Two Three Six Month Eurodollar Rate Plus Index Based Loans | Maximum                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Consolidated leverage ratio 2.25%uhs_ConsolidatedLeverageRatio
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/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
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Term Loan A                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Line of credit facility amount outstanding 1,761,872,000us-gaap_LineOfCredit
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935,308,000us-gaap_LineOfCredit
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Original issue discount on the extinguished debt 2,035,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount
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3,340,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount
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Current applicable margins 1.50%uhs_InterestRateMarginAdjustmentPercentage
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= uhs_TermLoanFacilityMember
               
Term Loan A | One Month Eurodollar Rate Plus Index Based Loans | Minimum                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Consolidated leverage ratio 0.50%uhs_ConsolidatedLeverageRatio
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Term Loan A | One Month Eurodollar Rate Plus Index Based Loans | Maximum                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Consolidated leverage ratio 1.25%uhs_ConsolidatedLeverageRatio
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/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
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= uhs_OneMonthEurodollarRatePlusIndexBasedLoansMember
               
Term Loan A | One Two Three Six Month Eurodollar Rate Plus Index Based Loans | Minimum                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Consolidated leverage ratio 1.50%uhs_ConsolidatedLeverageRatio
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Term Loan A | One Two Three Six Month Eurodollar Rate Plus Index Based Loans | Maximum                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Consolidated leverage ratio 2.25%uhs_ConsolidatedLeverageRatio
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/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
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Short Term on Demand Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Line of credit facility amount outstanding 500,000us-gaap_LineOfCredit
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/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= uhs_ShortTermOnDemandCreditFacilityMember
               
Letter of Credit | Revolving Credit Facility                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Line of credit facility, borrowing capacity 125,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
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= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
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Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Accounts receivable securitization program, additional capacity 30,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnusedBorrowingCapacityAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
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3.750% Senior Secured Notes due 2019                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Senior notes, issued       300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
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Senior notes, interest rate       3.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
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3.750% Senior Secured Notes due 2019 | New Senior Secured Notes                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Senior notes, issued       300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
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= uhs_NewSeniorSecuredCreditFacilityMember
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_ThreePointSevenFiveZeroPercentSeniorSecuredNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember
         
Senior notes, interest rate       3.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
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= uhs_NewSeniorSecuredCreditFacilityMember
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_ThreePointSevenFiveZeroPercentSeniorSecuredNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember
         
Senior notes, maturity date Aug. 01, 2019                
4.750% Senior Secured Notes due 2022                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Senior notes, issued       300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
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Senior notes, interest rate       4.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
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= uhs_FourPointSevenFiveZeroPercentSeniorSecuredNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
         
4.750% Senior Secured Notes due 2022 | New Senior Secured Notes                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Senior notes, issued       300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= uhs_NewSeniorSecuredCreditFacilityMember
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_FourPointSevenFiveZeroPercentSeniorSecuredNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
         
Senior notes, interest rate       4.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
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= uhs_NewSeniorSecuredCreditFacilityMember
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_FourPointSevenFiveZeroPercentSeniorSecuredNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
         
Senior notes, maturity date Aug. 01, 2022                
7.00% Senior Unsecured Notes                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Reduction of long-term debt 250,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_SeniorUnsecuredNotesSevenPointZeroZeroPercentMember
      250,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_SeniorUnsecuredNotesSevenPointZeroZeroPercentMember
       
Senior notes, interest rate 7.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_SeniorUnsecuredNotesSevenPointZeroZeroPercentMember
      7.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_SeniorUnsecuredNotesSevenPointZeroZeroPercentMember
       
Debt instrument redemption, date Jul. 31, 2014       Jul. 31, 2014        
Unsecured notes make-whole redemption price         104.56%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPricePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_SeniorUnsecuredNotesSevenPointZeroZeroPercentMember
       
Write-off deferred charges 20,000,000us-gaap_WriteOffOfDeferredDebtIssuanceCost
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Original issue discount on the extinguished debt 5,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount
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= uhs_SeniorUnsecuredNotesSevenPointZeroZeroPercentMember
               
Write-off deferred charges, original issue discount and make-whole premiums paid 11,000,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfFinancingCostsAndDiscounts
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= uhs_SeniorUnsecuredNotesSevenPointZeroZeroPercentMember
      11,000,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfFinancingCostsAndDiscounts
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Senior notes, maturity date Oct. 01, 2018                
Senior Notes 7.125%                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Senior notes, issued               250,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
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Senior notes, interest rate               7.125%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
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Senior notes, repayment terms Interest on the 7.125% Notes is payable semiannually in arrears on June 30th and December 30th of each year                
Senior notes, maturity date Jun. 30, 2016                
Line of credit facility additional borrowing capacity             150,000,000uhs_LineOfCreditFacilityAdditionalBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
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Credit Agreement And Securitization                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Average amounts outstanding under Credit Agreement, Prior Credit Agreement, demand notes and accounts receivable securitization programs 2,400,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
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2,900,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
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2,900,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_CreditAgreementAndSecuritizationMember
           
Effective interest rate 1.80%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
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2.20%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
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= uhs_CreditAgreementAndSecuritizationMember
2.90%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_CreditAgreementAndSecuritizationMember
           
Maximum amounts outstanding at any month-end 2,650,000,000uhs_DebtInstrumentMaximumOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_CreditAgreementAndSecuritizationMember
3,000,000,000uhs_DebtInstrumentMaximumOutstandingAmount
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= uhs_CreditAgreementAndSecuritizationMember
3,060,000,000uhs_DebtInstrumentMaximumOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= uhs_CreditAgreementAndSecuritizationMember
           
Amendment of Credit Facility                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Line of credit facility, starting date       Aug. 07, 2014          
Line of credit facility, maturity month       2019-08          
Accounts receivable securitization program credit facility, borrowing capacity           360,000,000uhs_SecuritizedBorrowingsCreditFacilityBorrowingCapacity
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    275,000,000uhs_SecuritizedBorrowingsCreditFacilityBorrowingCapacity
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= uhs_AmendmentOfCreditFacilityMember
Amendment of Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Line of credit facility, borrowing capacity       800,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
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Amendment of Credit Facility | Term Loan A                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Line of credit facility, borrowing capacity       1,775,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
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Line of credit facility amount outstanding $ 1,764,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCredit
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Amendment of Credit Facility | Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility                  
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                  
Line of credit facility, starting date           Aug. 01, 2014      
Line of credit facility, maturity date           Oct. 31, 2016