Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details 2) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 156.9	$ 173.1
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(35.5)	(29.1)
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired		(9.9)
Purchase of restricted investments	(7.9)	(13.3)
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments	0.6	10.0
Net change in restricted cash	5.3	18.1
Net settlements on interest rate swaps	(10.9)	(23.1)
Other	(0.5)	(0.4)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations	(0.3)	7.6
Net cash used in investing activities	(49.2)	(40.1)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan	100.0
Proceeds from bond issuance	120.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments	(335.9)	(3.8)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	190.0
Payments on revolving credit facility	(128.0)
Principal payments under capital lease obligations	(6.8)	(7.2)
Debt issue costs	(4.2)
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock	(13.0)	(13.0)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	(22.2)	(18.3)
Other	4.3	0.9
Net cash used in financing activities	(95.8)	(41.4)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	11.9	91.6
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	48.3	80.7
Cash and cash equivalents of facilities held for sale at beginning of period			0.1	0.3
Less: Cash and cash equivalents of facilities held for sale at end of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	60.3	172.6
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Textuals)
HealthSouth ownership percentage of subsidiary guarantors	100.00%
HealthSouth Corporation [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	72.1	110.9
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(5.2)	(3.5)
Net change in restricted cash	(0.2)	1.0
Net settlements on interest rate swaps	(10.9)	(23.1)
Other		(0.1)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations		0.5
Net cash used in investing activities	(16.3)	(25.2)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan	100.0
Proceeds from bond issuance	120.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments	(337.0)	(5.8)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	190.0
Payments on revolving credit facility	(128.0)
Principal payments under capital lease obligations	(0.6)	(1.1)
Debt issue costs	(4.2)
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock	(13.0)	(13.0)
Other	4.3	0.3
Change in intercompany advances	22.8	28.0
Net cash used in financing activities	(45.7)	8.4
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	10.1	94.1
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	45.8	76.2
Cash and cash equivalents of facilities held for sale at beginning of period			0.1	0.1
Less: Cash and cash equivalents of facilities held for sale at end of period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	56.0	170.4
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	141.4	102.2
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(23.3)	(15.2)
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired		(9.9)
Other	(0.5)	(0.3)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations	(0.3)	(0.4)
Net cash used in investing activities	(24.1)	(25.8)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments	(0.9)
Principal payments under capital lease obligations	(5.1)	(5.1)
Change in intercompany advances	(110.2)	(73.0)
Net cash used in financing activities	(116.2)	(78.1)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	1.1	(1.7)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0.1	1.7
Less: Cash and cash equivalents of facilities held for sale at end of period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1.2
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	62.2	62.6
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(7.0)	(10.4)
Purchase of restricted investments	(7.9)	(13.3)
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments	0.6	10.0
Net change in restricted cash	5.5	17.1
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations		7.5
Net cash used in investing activities	(8.8)	10.9
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments under capital lease obligations	(1.1)	(1.0)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	(22.2)	(18.3)
Other		0.6
Change in intercompany advances	(29.4)	(55.6)
Net cash used in financing activities	(52.7)	(74.3)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0.7	(0.8)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	2.4	2.8
Cash and cash equivalents of facilities held for sale at beginning of period				0.2
Less: Cash and cash equivalents of facilities held for sale at end of period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	3.1	2.2
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	(118.8)	(102.6)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments	2.0	2.0
Change in intercompany advances	116.8	100.6
Net cash used in financing activities	118.8	102.6
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0
Less: Cash and cash equivalents of facilities held for sale at end of period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0