Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 1,442	$ 1,579
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(3,319)	(2,923)
Provision for doubtful accounts	2,732	2,666
Depreciation and amortization	1,292	1,254
Income taxes	158	250
Losses (gains) on sales of facilities	13	(4)
Loss on retirement of debt	17
Amortization of deferred loan costs	41	44
Share-based compensation	81	39
Equity in earnings of affiliates	(29)	(26)
Other	(3)	7
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	2,454	2,912
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment	(1,347)	(1,268)
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities	(463)	(167)
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities	31	17
Change in investments	97	73
Other	8	5
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,674)	(1,340)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt		1,350
Net change in revolving bank credit facilities	630	(875)
Repayment of long-term debt	(1,300)	(689)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(308)	(303)
Payment of debt issuance costs	(5)	(20)
Distributions to stockholders	(13)	(983)
Income tax benefits	70	82
Other	(75)	(35)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(1,001)	(1,473)
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(221)	99
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	705	373
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	484	472
HCA Holdings, Inc. Issuer [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	1,215	1,291
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	47	30
Provision for doubtful accounts
Depreciation and amortization
Income taxes	158	250
Losses (gains) on sales of facilities
Loss on retirement of debt
Amortization of deferred loan costs	3	1
Share-based compensation	81	39
Equity in earnings of affiliates	(1,303)	(1,348)
Other
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	201	263
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities
Change in investments
Other
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt
Net change in revolving bank credit facilities
Repayment of long-term debt
Distributions to noncontrolling interests
Payment of debt issuance costs
Distributions to stockholders	(13)	(983)
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	(199)	675
Income tax benefits	70	82
Other	(81)	(37)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(223)	(263)
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(22)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	22
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
HCA Inc. Issuer [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	(1,028)	(1,013)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(126)	(131)
Provision for doubtful accounts
Depreciation and amortization
Income taxes
Losses (gains) on sales of facilities
Loss on retirement of debt	17
Amortization of deferred loan costs	38	43
Share-based compensation
Equity in earnings of affiliates
Other	7	11
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(1,092)	(1,090)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities
Change in investments
Other
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt		1,350
Net change in revolving bank credit facilities	630	(875)
Repayment of long-term debt	(1,243)	(604)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests
Payment of debt issuance costs	(5)	(20)
Distributions to stockholders
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	1,710	1,239
Income tax benefits
Other
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	1,092	1,090
Change in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	1,665	1,771
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(1,848)	(1,475)
Provision for doubtful accounts	1,611	1,505
Depreciation and amortization	636	614
Income taxes
Losses (gains) on sales of facilities	20	3
Loss on retirement of debt
Amortization of deferred loan costs
Share-based compensation
Equity in earnings of affiliates	(2)	(4)
Other
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	2,084	2,418
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment	(684)	(685)
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities		(72)
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities	17	1
Change in investments	(6)	(9)
Other		(1)
Net cash used in investing activities	(673)	(766)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt
Net change in revolving bank credit facilities
Repayment of long-term debt	(34)	(16)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(34)	(46)
Payment of debt issuance costs
Distributions to stockholders
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	(1,559)	(1,556)
Income tax benefits
Other
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(1,627)	(1,618)
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(216)	34
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	383	115
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	167	149
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	893	878
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(1,392)	(1,347)
Provision for doubtful accounts	1,121	1,161
Depreciation and amortization	656	640
Income taxes
Losses (gains) on sales of facilities	(7)	(7)
Loss on retirement of debt
Amortization of deferred loan costs
Share-based compensation
Equity in earnings of affiliates	(27)	(22)
Other	(10)	(4)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	1,261	1,321
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment	(663)	(583)
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities	(463)	(95)
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities	14	16
Change in investments	103	82
Other	8	6
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,001)	(574)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt
Net change in revolving bank credit facilities
Repayment of long-term debt	(23)	(69)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(274)	(257)
Payment of debt issuance costs
Distributions to stockholders
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	48	(358)
Income tax benefits
Other	6	2
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(243)	(682)
Change in cash and cash equivalents	17	65
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	300	258
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	317	323
Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	(1,303)	(1,348)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Provision for doubtful accounts
Depreciation and amortization
Income taxes
Losses (gains) on sales of facilities
Loss on retirement of debt
Amortization of deferred loan costs
Share-based compensation
Equity in earnings of affiliates	1,303	1,348
Other
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities
Change in investments
Other
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt
Net change in revolving bank credit facilities
Repayment of long-term debt
Distributions to noncontrolling interests
Payment of debt issuance costs
Distributions to stockholders
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net
Income tax benefits
Other
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
Change in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period