Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Cash Flow Statement Tables (Details) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 311.9	$ 204.9
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(71.4)	(46.3)
Capitalized software costs	(15.2)	(15.2)
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	(9.4)	(77.7)
Net change in restricted cash	(11.5)	13.1
Funding of intercompany note receivable	0.0
Proceeds from repayment of intercompany notes receivable	0.0
Other	2.0	(0.6)
Net cash used in investing activities	(105.5)	(126.7)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from bond issuance	0.0	700.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments	(112.8)	(546.1)
Principal borrowings on intercompany note payable	0.0
Principal payments on intercompany note payable	0.0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	165.0	270.0
Payments on revolving credit facility	(145.0)	(442.0)
Debt amendment and issuance costs	0.0	(13.9)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses	(24.1)	0.0
Dividends paid on common stock	(41.9)	(37.1)
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock	0.0	(3.1)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	(33.6)	(26.2)
Other	(5.3)	(1.0)
Change in intercompany advances	0.0	0.0
Net cash used in financing activities	(197.7)	(99.4)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	8.7	(21.2)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	61.6	66.7
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 70.3	45.5
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	$ 31.5	(13.5)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(5.4)	(5.1)
Capitalized software costs	(7.6)	(13.9)
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	0.0	(56.5)
Net change in restricted cash	0.0	0.0
Funding of intercompany note receivable	(6.5)
Proceeds from repayment of intercompany notes receivable	22.0
Other	(2.8)	7.7
Net cash used in investing activities	(0.3)	(67.8)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from bond issuance		700.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments	(111.2)	(545.0)
Principal borrowings on intercompany note payable	0.0
Principal payments on intercompany note payable	0.0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	165.0	270.0
Payments on revolving credit facility	(145.0)	(442.0)
Debt amendment and issuance costs		(13.9)
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses	(24.1)
Dividends paid on common stock	(41.9)	(37.1)
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock		(3.1)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	0.0	0.0
Other	2.2	1.7
Change in intercompany advances	139.1	138.6
Net cash used in financing activities	(15.9)	69.2
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	15.3	(12.1)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	41.2	41.9
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	56.5	29.8
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	182.5	120.9
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(35.3)	(24.2)
Capitalized software costs	(6.0)	0.0
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	0.0	0.0
Net change in restricted cash	0.0	0.0
Proceeds from repayment of intercompany notes receivable	0.0
Other	(0.1)	3.3
Net cash used in investing activities	(41.4)	(20.9)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from bond issuance		0.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments	(0.8)	(0.8)
Principal borrowings on intercompany note payable	0.0
Principal payments on intercompany note payable	0.0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	0.0	0.0
Payments on revolving credit facility	0.0	0.0
Debt amendment and issuance costs		0.0
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses	0.0
Dividends paid on common stock	0.0	0.0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock		0.0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	0.0	0.0
Other	(2.9)	(0.8)
Change in intercompany advances	(136.2)	(98.6)
Net cash used in financing activities	(139.9)	(100.2)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	1.2	(0.2)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1.2	1.4
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	2.4	1.2
Nonguarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	97.9	97.5
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(30.7)	(17.0)
Capitalized software costs	(1.6)	(1.3)
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	(9.4)	(21.2)
Net change in restricted cash	(11.5)	13.1
Proceeds from repayment of intercompany notes receivable	0.0
Other	4.9	(5.6)
Net cash used in investing activities	(48.3)	(32.0)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from bond issuance		0.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments	(0.8)	(0.3)
Principal borrowings on intercompany note payable	6.5
Principal payments on intercompany note payable	(22.0)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	0.0	0.0
Payments on revolving credit facility	0.0	0.0
Debt amendment and issuance costs		0.0
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses	0.0
Dividends paid on common stock	0.0	0.0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock		0.0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	(33.6)	(26.2)
Other	(4.6)	(7.9)
Change in intercompany advances	(2.9)	(40.0)
Net cash used in financing activities	(57.4)	(74.4)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(7.8)	(8.9)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	19.2	23.4
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	11.4	14.5
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities	0.0	0.0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	0.0	0.0
Capitalized software costs	0.0	0.0
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	0.0	0.0
Net change in restricted cash	0.0	0.0
Funding of intercompany note receivable	6.5
Proceeds from repayment of intercompany notes receivable	(22.0)
Other	0.0	(6.0)
Net cash used in investing activities	(15.5)	(6.0)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from bond issuance		0.0
Principal payments on debt, including pre-payments	0.0	0.0
Principal borrowings on intercompany note payable	(6.5)
Principal payments on intercompany note payable	22.0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	0.0	0.0
Payments on revolving credit facility	0.0	0.0
Debt amendment and issuance costs		0.0
Repurchase of common stock, including fees and expenses	0.0
Dividends paid on common stock	0.0	0.0
Dividends paid on convertible perpetual preferred stock		0.0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates	0.0	0.0
Other	0.0	6.0
Change in intercompany advances	0.0	0.0
Net cash used in financing activities	15.5	6.0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0.0	0.0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0.0	0.0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0.0	$ 0.0