Financial Information for the Company and Its Subsidiaries (Cash Flow Statements) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 251,395	$ 153,581
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions and related expenses	(196,032)	(24,437)
Acquisition of property and equipment	(32,665)	(16,075)
Proceeds from sale of interests in surgery centers	0	2,092
Purchases of marketable securities	(1,245)	0
Maturities of marketable securities	2,988	0
Other	(1,987)	(1,381)
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(228,941)	(39,801)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	7,795	74,246
Repayment on long-term borrowings	(10,288)	(102,326)
Distributions to owners, including noncontrolling interests	(101,033)	(92,010)
Capital contributions	0
Cash dividends for preferred shares	(4,528)	0
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	0	0
Other financing activities, net	3,810	381
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(104,244)	(119,709)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(81,790)	(5,929)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	208,079	50,840
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	126,289	44,911
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	(126,382)	(179,130)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions and related expenses	53,538	2,443
Acquisition of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sale of interests in surgery centers		0
Purchases of marketable securities	0
Maturities of marketable securities	0
Other	0	0
Net cash flows used in investing activities	53,538	2,443
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	0	0
Repayment on long-term borrowings	0	0
Distributions to owners, including noncontrolling interests	126,382	179,130
Capital contributions	(51,852)
Cash dividends for preferred shares	0
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	0	0
Other financing activities, net	(1,686)	(2,443)
Net cash flows used in financing activities	72,844	176,687
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0	0
Parent Company [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	(27,553)	27,919
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions and related expenses	(51,852)	0
Acquisition of property and equipment	(4,490)	(1,949)
Proceeds from sale of interests in surgery centers		0
Purchases of marketable securities	0
Maturities of marketable securities	0
Other	0	(1,259)
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(56,342)	(3,208)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	0	70,000
Repayment on long-term borrowings	(4,350)	(96,358)
Distributions to owners, including noncontrolling interests	0	0
Capital contributions	0
Cash dividends for preferred shares	(4,528)
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	444	(1,020)
Other financing activities, net	1,636	(207)
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(6,798)	(27,585)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(90,693)	(2,874)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	134,351	6,710
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	43,658	3,836
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	172,907	102,284
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions and related expenses	(197,718)	(26,880)
Acquisition of property and equipment	(9,424)	0
Proceeds from sale of interests in surgery centers		2,092
Purchases of marketable securities	0
Maturities of marketable securities	0
Other	(1,441)	(122)
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(208,583)	(24,910)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	0	0
Repayment on long-term borrowings	0	0
Distributions to owners, including noncontrolling interests	(15,108)	(76,846)
Capital contributions	51,852
Cash dividends for preferred shares	0
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	0	0
Other financing activities, net	2,573	(528)
Net cash flows used in financing activities	39,317	(77,374)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	3,641	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	23,471	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	27,112	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	232,423	202,508
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions and related expenses	0	0
Acquisition of property and equipment	(18,751)	(14,126)
Proceeds from sale of interests in surgery centers		0
Purchases of marketable securities	(1,245)
Maturities of marketable securities	2,988
Other	(546)	0
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(17,554)	(14,126)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	7,795	4,246
Repayment on long-term borrowings	(5,938)	(5,968)
Distributions to owners, including noncontrolling interests	(212,307)	(194,294)
Capital contributions	0
Cash dividends for preferred shares	0
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	(444)	1,020
Other financing activities, net	1,287	3,559
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(209,607)	(191,437)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	5,262	(3,055)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	50,257	44,130
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 55,519	$ 41,075