Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2015		Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015		Sep. 30, 2014
Numerator [Abstract]
Net income (loss) attributable to Healthways, Inc.		$ (9,026)		$ 1,973	$ (11,520)		$ (8,139)
Denominator [Abstract]
Shares used for basic income (loss) per share (in shares)		35,939		35,351	35,756		35,263
Shares used for diluted loss per share (in shares)	[1]	35,939		36,477	35,756		35,263
Earnings (loss) per share [Abstract]
Basic (in dollars per share)		$ (0.25)		$ 0.06	$ (0.32)		$ (0.23)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	[1]	$ (0.25)		$ 0.05	$ (0.32)		$ (0.23)
Non-Qualified Stock Options [Member]
Denominator [Abstract]
Effect of dilutive stock options and restricted stock units outstanding (in shares)		0	[1]	770	0	[1]	0	[1]
Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Denominator [Abstract]
Effect of dilutive stock options and restricted stock units outstanding (in shares)		0	[1]	318	0	[1]	0	[1]
Performance-based Stock Units
Denominator [Abstract]
Effect of dilutive stock options and restricted stock units outstanding (in shares)		0	[1]	34	0	[1]	0	[1]
CareFirst Warrants
Denominator [Abstract]
Effect of dilutive stock options and restricted stock units outstanding (in shares)		0	[1]	4	0	[1]	0	[1]
Non-Qualified Stock Options [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive securities outstanding not included in the computation of loss per share because their effect is antidilutive (in shares)		1,770		1,131	1,284		2,153
Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive securities outstanding not included in the computation of loss per share because their effect is antidilutive (in shares)		662		54	580		390
Performance-based Stock Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive securities outstanding not included in the computation of loss per share because their effect is antidilutive (in shares)		0		2	0		16
Market Stock Units [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive securities outstanding not included in the computation of loss per share because their effect is antidilutive (in shares)		8		0	3		0
Warrants Related to Cash Convertible Notes [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive securities outstanding not included in the computation of loss per share because their effect is antidilutive (in shares)		7,707		7,707	7,707		7,707
CareFirst Convertible Note [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive securities outstanding not included in the computation of loss per share because their effect is antidilutive (in shares)		892		892	892		892
CareFirst Warrants
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive securities outstanding not included in the computation of loss per share because their effect is antidilutive (in shares)		432		83	223		86

[1] The impact of potentially dilutive securities for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and the nine months ended September 30, 2014 was not considered because the effect would be anti-dilutive in each of those periods.