Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Tables 6 - 8 (Details) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jan. 16, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired				$ (985.1)	$ (694.8)	$ (28.9)
Purchases of property and equipment				(128.4)	(170.9)	(195.2)
Capitalized software costs				(28.1)	(17.0)	(21.3)
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments				0.2	0.3	16.9
Proceeds from sale of marketable securities				12.8	0.0	0.0
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital		$ 10.8		0.0	0.0	10.8
Purchase of restricted investments				(7.1)	(3.5)	(9.2)
Net change in restricted cash				2.7	6.8	(3.1)
Funding of intercompany note receivable				0.0
Proceeds from repayment of intercompany note receivable				0.0
Other				2.7	2.2	0.5
Net cash provided by investing activities of discontinued operations				0.5	0.0	3.3
Net cash used in investing activities				(1,129.8)	(876.9)	(226.2)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan facilities				250.0	450.0	0.0
Proceeds from bond issuance				1,400.0	175.0	0.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments				(597.4)	(302.6)	(62.5)
Principal borrowings on notes				0.0	0.0	15.2
Principal payments on intercompany note payable				0.0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility				540.0	440.0	197.0
Payments on revolving credit facility				(735.0)	(160.0)	(152.0)
Debt amendment and issuance costs				(31.9)	(6.5)	(2.6)
Principal payments under capital lease obligations				(11.0)	(6.1)	(10.1)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses				(45.3)	(43.1)	(234.1)
Net cash provided by operating activities				484.8	444.9	470.3
Dividends paid on common stock				(77.2)	(65.8)	(15.7)
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock				(3.1)	(6.3)	(23.0)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates				(54.4)	(54.1)	(46.3)
Proceeds from exercising stock warrants	$ 6.3			0.0	6.3	15.3
Other				5.2	7.4	6.4
Change in intercompany advances				0.0	0.0	0.0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities				639.9	434.2	(312.4)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents				(5.1)	2.2	(68.3)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year			$ 132.8	61.6	66.7	64.5
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities: [Abstract]
Conversion of Preferred Stock				93.2
Intercompany note activity				0.0
Equity rollover from Encompass management				0.0	64.5	0.0
Convertible debt issued				0.0	0.0	320.0
Repurchase of preferred stock				$ 0.0	0.0	(320.0)
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
Deferred income tax assets				$ 190.8	129.4
HealthSouth Corporation
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired				(954.6)	(674.6)	0.0
Purchases of property and equipment				(15.9)	(15.6)	(2.8)
Capitalized software costs				(24.5)	(8.6)	(6.0)
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments				0.0	0.0	0.0
Proceeds from sale of marketable securities				12.8
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital						10.8
Purchase of restricted investments				0.0	0.0	0.0
Net change in restricted cash				0.0	1.0	(0.2)
Funding of intercompany note receivable				(2.0)
Proceeds from repayment of intercompany note receivable				24.0
Other				(0.5)	0.0	0.0
Net cash provided by investing activities of discontinued operations				0.5		0.0
Net cash used in investing activities				(960.2)	(697.8)	1.8
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan facilities				250.0	450.0
Proceeds from bond issuance				1,400.0	175.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments				(595.0)	(298.0)	(59.5)
Principal borrowings on notes						0.0
Principal payments on intercompany note payable				0.0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility				540.0	440.0	197.0
Payments on revolving credit facility				(735.0)	(160.0)	(152.0)
Debt amendment and issuance costs				(31.9)	(6.5)	(2.6)
Principal payments under capital lease obligations				(0.3)	(0.3)	(0.3)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses				(45.3)	(43.1)	(234.1)
Net cash provided by operating activities				29.6	21.9	113.2
Dividends paid on common stock				(77.2)	(65.8)	(15.7)
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock				(3.1)	(6.3)	(23.0)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates				0.0	0.0	0.0
Proceeds from exercising stock warrants					6.3	15.3
Other				2.2	7.4	4.8
Change in intercompany advances				(225.5)	(158.6)	(84.3)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities				929.9	657.3	(185.8)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents				(0.7)	(18.6)	(70.8)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year			131.3	41.2	41.9	60.5
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities: [Abstract]
Conversion of Preferred Stock				93.2
Intercompany note activity				(183.5)
Equity rollover from Encompass management					0.0
Convertible debt issued						320.0
Repurchase of preferred stock						320.0
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Textual) (Abstract)
Deferred income tax assets				176.2	163.3
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired				0.0	0.0	(28.9)
Purchases of property and equipment				(46.1)	(124.0)	(167.9)
Capitalized software costs				(0.4)	(1.4)	(11.1)
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments				0.0	0.0	0.0
Proceeds from sale of marketable securities				0.0
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital						0.0
Purchase of restricted investments				0.0	0.0	0.0
Net change in restricted cash				0.0	0.0	0.0
Funding of intercompany note receivable				0.0
Proceeds from repayment of intercompany note receivable				0.0
Other				2.3	(0.7)	0.9
Net cash provided by investing activities of discontinued operations				0.0		3.1
Net cash used in investing activities				(44.2)	(126.1)	(203.9)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan facilities				0.0	0.0
Proceeds from bond issuance				0.0	0.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments				(1.6)	(1.5)	(1.3)
Principal borrowings on notes						0.0
Principal payments on intercompany note payable				0.0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility				0.0	0.0	0.0
Payments on revolving credit facility				0.0	0.0	0.0
Debt amendment and issuance costs				0.0	0.0	0.0
Principal payments under capital lease obligations				(4.5)	(2.5)	(6.3)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses				0.0	0.0	0.0
Net cash provided by operating activities				222.6	260.1	235.7
Dividends paid on common stock				0.0	0.0	0.0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock				0.0	0.0	0.0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates				0.0	0.0	0.0
Proceeds from exercising stock warrants					0.0	0.0
Other				1.5	0.0	0.0
Change in intercompany advances				174.0	130.8	22.2
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities				(178.6)	(134.8)	(29.8)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents				(0.2)	(0.8)	2.0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year			0.3	1.3	1.5	2.3
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities: [Abstract]
Conversion of Preferred Stock				0.0
Intercompany note activity				0.0
Equity rollover from Encompass management					0.0
Convertible debt issued						0.0
Repurchase of preferred stock						0.0
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Textual) (Abstract)
Deferred income tax assets				64.1	17.5
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired				(30.5)	(20.2)	0.0
Purchases of property and equipment				(66.4)	(31.3)	(24.5)
Capitalized software costs				(3.2)	(7.0)	(4.2)
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments				0.2	0.3	16.9
Proceeds from sale of marketable securities				0.0
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital						0.0
Purchase of restricted investments				(7.1)	(3.5)	(9.2)
Net change in restricted cash				2.7	5.8	(2.9)
Funding of intercompany note receivable				0.0
Proceeds from repayment of intercompany note receivable				0.0
Other				0.9	2.9	(0.4)
Net cash provided by investing activities of discontinued operations				0.0		0.2
Net cash used in investing activities				(103.4)	(53.0)	(24.1)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan facilities				2.0	0.0
Proceeds from bond issuance				0.0	0.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments				(0.8)	(3.1)	(1.7)
Principal borrowings on notes						15.2
Principal payments on intercompany note payable				(24.0)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility				0.0	0.0	0.0
Payments on revolving credit facility				0.0	0.0	0.0
Debt amendment and issuance costs				0.0	0.0	0.0
Principal payments under capital lease obligations				(6.2)	(3.3)	(3.5)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses				0.0	0.0	0.0
Net cash provided by operating activities				232.2	162.9	121.4
Dividends paid on common stock				0.0	0.0	0.0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock				0.0	0.0	0.0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates				(54.4)	(54.1)	(46.3)
Proceeds from exercising stock warrants					0.0	0.0
Other				1.5	0.0	1.6
Change in intercompany advances				51.1	27.8	62.1
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities				(133.0)	(88.3)	(96.8)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents				(4.2)	21.6	0.5
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year			1.2	19.1	23.3	1.7
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities: [Abstract]
Conversion of Preferred Stock				0.0
Intercompany note activity				183.5
Equity rollover from Encompass management					64.5
Convertible debt issued						0.0
Repurchase of preferred stock						0.0
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Textual) (Abstract)
Deferred income tax assets				0.0	0.0
Eliminating Entries
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired				0.0	0.0	0.0
Purchases of property and equipment				0.0	0.0	0.0
Capitalized software costs				0.0	0.0	0.0
Proceeds from sale of restricted investments				0.0	0.0	0.0
Proceeds from sale of marketable securities				0.0
Proceeds from sale of Digital Hospital						0.0
Purchase of restricted investments				0.0	0.0	0.0
Net change in restricted cash				0.0	0.0	0.0
Funding of intercompany note receivable				2.0
Proceeds from repayment of intercompany note receivable				(24.0)
Other				0.0	0.0	0.0
Net cash provided by investing activities of discontinued operations				0.0		0.0
Net cash used in investing activities				(22.0)	0.0	0.0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings on term loan facilities				(2.0)	0.0
Proceeds from bond issuance				0.0	0.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments				0.0	0.0	0.0
Principal borrowings on notes						0.0
Principal payments on intercompany note payable				24.0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility				0.0	0.0	0.0
Payments on revolving credit facility				0.0	0.0	0.0
Debt amendment and issuance costs				0.0	0.0	0.0
Principal payments under capital lease obligations				0.0	0.0	0.0
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses				0.0	0.0	0.0
Net cash provided by operating activities				0.4	0.0	0.0
Dividends paid on common stock				0.0	0.0	0.0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock				0.0	0.0	0.0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates				0.0	0.0	0.0
Proceeds from exercising stock warrants					0.0	0.0
Other				0.0	0.0	0.0
Change in intercompany advances				0.4	0.0	0.0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities				21.6	0.0	0.0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents				0.0	0.0	0.0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year			$ 0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities: [Abstract]
Conversion of Preferred Stock				0.0
Intercompany note activity				0.0
Equity rollover from Encompass management					0.0
Convertible debt issued						0.0
Repurchase of preferred stock						$ 0.0
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Textual) (Abstract)
Deferred income tax assets				$ (49.5)	(51.4)
Scenario, Previously Reported [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Textual) (Abstract)
Deferred income tax assets					$ 51.4