Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Textuals (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Affiliates Ownership Percentage, Jonesboro		100.00%hls_AffiliatesOwnershipPercentage
Divested Skilled Nursing Facility Beds		41hls_DivestedSkilledNursingFacilityBeds
Goodwill, Impairment Loss	$ 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss	$ 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss	$ 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	$ 0

The percentage of ownership by the Company in the investee accounted for under the equity or cost methods of accounting.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Number of skilled nursing facility beds that were part of a divestiture.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	hls_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
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- Details

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- Definition

Amount of accumulated impairment loss for an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (a,h)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

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- Definition

Amount of loss from the write-down of an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 28

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13854-109267

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 20

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388280&loc=d3e13777-109266

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (e)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

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