Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Tables 6 - 8 (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Net cash provided by operating activities		$ 470.3	$ 411.5	$ 342.7
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment		(195.2)	(140.8)	(100.3)
Capitalized software costs		(21.3)	(18.9)	(8.8)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired		(28.9)	(3.1)	(4.9)
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments		16.9	0.3	1.2
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital	10.8	10.8	0	0
Purchase of restricted investments		(9.2)	(9.1)	(8.4)
Net change in restricted cash		(3.1)	(14.0)	1.2
Net settlements on interest rate swaps not designated as hedges		0	0	(10.9)
Other		0.5	(0.9)	(0.9)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations—
Proceeds from sale of LTCHs		0	0	107.9
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations		3.3	7.7	(0.7)
Net cash used in investing activities		(226.2)	(178.8)	(24.6)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan		0	0	100.0
Proceeds from bond issuance		0	275.0	120.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments		(62.5)	(166.2)	(504.9)
Principal borrowings on notes		15.2	0	0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility		197.0	135.0	338.0
Payments on revolving credit facility		(152.0)	(245.0)	(306.0)
Principal payments under capital lease obligations		(10.1)	(12.1)	(13.2)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses		(234.1)	0	0
Repurchases of convertible perpetual preferred stock, including fees		(2.8)	(46.0)	0
Dividends paid on common stock		(15.7)	0	0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock		(23.0)	(24.6)	(26.0)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates		(46.3)	(49.3)	(44.2)
Contributions from consolidated affiliates		1.6	10.5	0
Proceeds from exercising stock warrants		15.3	0	0
Other		5.0	(7.3)	0
Change in intercompany advances		0	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities		(312.4)	(130.0)	(336.3)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(68.3)	102.7	(18.2)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		132.8	30.1	48.3
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year		64.5	132.8	30.1
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Textual) (Abstract)
HealthSouth ownership percentage of subsidiary guarantors		100.00%
HealthSouth Corporation
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Net cash provided by operating activities		113.2	31.3	(58.3)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment		(2.8)	(4.8)	(4.8)
Capitalized software costs		(6.0)	(8.5)	(6.6)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired		0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments		0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital		10.8
Purchase of restricted investments		0	0	0
Net change in restricted cash		(0.2)	(0.1)	(0.2)
Net settlements on interest rate swaps not designated as hedges				(10.9)
Other		0	(0.3)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations—
Proceeds from sale of LTCHs				107.9
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations		0	4.4	0
Net cash used in investing activities		1.8	(9.3)	85.4
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan				100.0
Proceeds from bond issuance			275.0	120.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments		(59.5)	(164.9)	(507.4)
Principal borrowings on notes		0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility		197.0	135.0	338.0
Payments on revolving credit facility		(152.0)	(245.0)	(306.0)
Principal payments under capital lease obligations		(0.3)	(0.3)	(0.8)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses		(234.1)
Repurchases of convertible perpetual preferred stock, including fees		(2.8)	(46.0)
Dividends paid on common stock		(15.7)
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock		(23.0)	(24.6)	(26.0)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates		0	0	0
Contributions from consolidated affiliates		0	0
Proceeds from exercising stock warrants		15.3
Other		5.0	0.2
Change in intercompany advances		84.3	153.9	235.3
Net cash used in financing activities		(185.8)	83.3	(46.9)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(70.8)	105.3	(19.8)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		131.3	26.0	45.8
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year		60.5	131.3	26.0
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Net cash provided by operating activities		235.7	252.4	273.7
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment		(167.9)	(98.4)	(83.3)
Capitalized software costs		(11.1)	(7.2)	(2.0)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired		(28.9)	(3.1)	(4.9)
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments		0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital		0
Purchase of restricted investments		0	0	0
Net change in restricted cash		0	0	0
Net settlements on interest rate swaps not designated as hedges				0
Other		0.9	(0.8)	(0.9)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations—
Proceeds from sale of LTCHs				0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations		3.1	3.3	(0.3)
Net cash used in investing activities		(203.9)	(106.2)	(91.4)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan				0
Proceeds from bond issuance			0	0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments		(1.3)	(1.3)	(1.5)
Principal borrowings on notes		0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility		0	0	0
Payments on revolving credit facility		0	0	0
Principal payments under capital lease obligations		(6.3)	(8.9)	(10.2)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses		0
Repurchases of convertible perpetual preferred stock, including fees		0	0
Dividends paid on common stock		0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock		0	0	0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates		0	0	0
Contributions from consolidated affiliates		0	0
Proceeds from exercising stock warrants		0
Other		0	0
Change in intercompany advances		(22.2)	(137.0)	(169.4)
Net cash used in financing activities		(29.8)	(147.2)	(181.1)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		2.0	(1.0)	1.2
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		0.3	1.3	0.1
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year		2.3	0.3	1.3
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Net cash provided by operating activities		121.4	127.8	127.3
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment		(24.5)	(37.6)	(12.2)
Capitalized software costs		(4.2)	(3.2)	(0.2)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired		0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments		16.9	0.3	1.2
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital		0
Purchase of restricted investments		(9.2)	(9.1)	(8.4)
Net change in restricted cash		(2.9)	(13.9)	1.4
Net settlements on interest rate swaps not designated as hedges				0
Other		(0.4)	0.2	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations—
Proceeds from sale of LTCHs				0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations		0.2	0	(0.4)
Net cash used in investing activities		(24.1)	(63.3)	(18.6)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan				0
Proceeds from bond issuance			0	0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments		(1.7)	0	4.0
Principal borrowings on notes		15.2
Borrowings on revolving credit facility		0	0	0
Payments on revolving credit facility		0	0	0
Principal payments under capital lease obligations		(3.5)	(2.9)	(2.2)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses		0
Repurchases of convertible perpetual preferred stock, including fees		0	0
Dividends paid on common stock		0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock		0	0	0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates		(46.3)	(49.3)	(44.2)
Contributions from consolidated affiliates		1.6	10.5
Proceeds from exercising stock warrants		0
Other		0	(7.5)
Change in intercompany advances		(62.1)	(16.9)	(65.9)
Net cash used in financing activities		(96.8)	(66.1)	(108.3)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		0.5	(1.6)	0.4
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		1.2	2.8	2.4
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year		1.7	1.2	2.8
Eliminating Entries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Net cash provided by operating activities		0	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment		0	0	0
Capitalized software costs		0	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired		0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments		0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital		0
Purchase of restricted investments		0	0	0
Net change in restricted cash		0	0	0
Net settlements on interest rate swaps not designated as hedges				0
Other		0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations—
Proceeds from sale of LTCHs				0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations		0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities		0	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan				0
Proceeds from bond issuance			0	0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments		0	0	0
Principal borrowings on notes		0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility		0	0	0
Payments on revolving credit facility		0	0	0
Principal payments under capital lease obligations		0	0	0
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses		0
Repurchases of convertible perpetual preferred stock, including fees		0	0
Dividends paid on common stock		0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock		0	0	0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates		0	0	0
Contributions from consolidated affiliates		0	0
Proceeds from exercising stock warrants		0
Other		0	0
Change in intercompany advances		0	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities		0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0