Income Taxes and Distributions (Details 4) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Valuation Allowance
Purchase price accounting	$ 4,119,000hcn_ValuationAllowanceAdditions	$ 41,312,000hcn_ValuationAllowanceAdditions	$ 0hcn_ValuationAllowanceAdditions
Expense	9,133,000	18,444,000	9,234,000
Valuation allowance	$ 85,207,000	$ 71,955,000	$ 12,199,000	$ 2,965,000

Amount of deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32537-109319

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant