Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Cash Flow Statement Tables (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 374.7	$ 369.4
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(133.9)	(166.8)
Capitalized software costs	(12.6)	(15.6)
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	(15.9)	(28.9)
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments	0.3	16.9
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital	0	10.8
Purchase of restricted investments	(2.5)	(8.1)
Other	2.3	(5.5)
Net cash used in investing activities	(162.3)	(197.2)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from bond issuance	175.0	0
Principal borrowings on notes	0	15.2
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	65.0	147.0
Payments on revolving credit facility	(110.0)	(112.0)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses	(43.1)	(234.1)
Dividends paid on common stock	(47.4)	0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock	(4.7)	(17.2)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	(39.6)	(34.1)
Other	0.2	(4.8)
Change in intercompany advances	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(4.6)	(240.0)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	207.8	(67.8)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	64.5	132.8
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	272.3	65.0
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Textual) [Abstract]
HealthSouth ownership percentage of subsidiary guarantors	100.00%
Senior secured leverage ratio maximum	1.75
Consolidated coverage ratio minimum	2
HealthSouth Corporation [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	53.5	70.9
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(11.9)	(5.2)
Capitalized software costs	(4.1)	(4.8)
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments	0	0
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital		10.8
Purchase of restricted investments	0	0
Other	1.0	(0.2)
Net cash used in investing activities	(15.0)	0.6
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from bond issuance	175.0
Principal borrowings on notes		0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	65.0	147.0
Payments on revolving credit facility	(110.0)	(112.0)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses	(43.1)	(234.1)
Dividends paid on common stock	(47.4)
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock	(4.7)	(17.2)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	0	0
Other	8.7	4.6
Change in intercompany advances	124.0	70.5
Net cash used in financing activities	167.5	(141.2)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	206.0	(69.7)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	60.5	131.3
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	266.5	61.6
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	206.9	215.6
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(97.9)	(142.3)
Capitalized software costs	(1.5)	(7.6)
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	0	(28.9)
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments	0	0
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital		0
Purchase of restricted investments	0	0
Other	1.3	(1.0)
Net cash used in investing activities	(98.1)	(179.8)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from bond issuance	0
Principal borrowings on notes		0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	0	0
Payments on revolving credit facility	0	0
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses	0	0
Dividends paid on common stock	0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock	0	0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	0	0
Other	(3.0)	(6.7)
Change in intercompany advances	(106.6)	(27.5)
Net cash used in financing activities	(109.6)	(34.2)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(0.8)	1.6
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	2.3	0.3
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1.5	1.9
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	114.3	82.9
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(24.1)	(19.3)
Capitalized software costs	(7.0)	(3.2)
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	(15.9)	0
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments	0.3	16.9
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital		0
Purchase of restricted investments	(2.5)	(8.1)
Other	0	(4.3)
Net cash used in investing activities	(49.2)	(18.0)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from bond issuance	0
Principal borrowings on notes		15.2
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	0	0
Payments on revolving credit facility	0	0
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses	0	0
Dividends paid on common stock	0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock	0	0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	(39.6)	(34.1)
Other	(5.5)	(2.7)
Change in intercompany advances	(17.4)	(43.0)
Net cash used in financing activities	(62.5)	(64.6)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	2.6	0.3
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1.7	1.2
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	4.3	1.5
Eliminating Entries [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	0	0
Capitalized software costs	0	0
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments	0	0
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital		0
Purchase of restricted investments	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from bond issuance	0
Principal borrowings on notes		0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	0	0
Payments on revolving credit facility	0	0
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses	0	0
Dividends paid on common stock	0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock	0	0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	0	0
Other	0	0
Change in intercompany advances	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	$ 0