COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands													1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			27 Months Ended	36 Months Ended
	Jan. 10, 2019 USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2019 USD ($)	Nov. 21, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 27, 2016 patient	Apr. 18, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 18, 2016 USD ($) claim	Nov. 03, 2015 patient	Jun. 10, 2015 USD ($)	May 21, 2015 patient	Apr. 23, 2014	Sep. 13, 2012 employee	Jun. 06, 2011 beneficiary	Aug. 31, 2017 USD ($) claim	Apr. 30, 2014 care_center	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2010 beneficiary	Jul. 25, 2015 employee	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 12, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Securities Class Action Lawsuit settlement, net																		$ 0	$ 28,712	$ 0
Corporate integrity agreement term (years)										5 years
Indemnity receivable																		14,200	17,000
Other General and Administrative Expense																		166,897	159,980	180,048
Patient accounts receivable																		188,972	201,196
Operating leases rent expense																		27,800	28,600	$ 27,500
Health insurance retention limit																		1,000
Workers' compensation insurance retention limit		$ 1,000																500
Professional liability insurance retention limit																		$ 300
Minimum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Operating lease term (years)																		1 year
Maximum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Operating lease term (years)																		10 years
South Carolina [Member] | Hospice [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of beneficiaries | beneficiary																					30
Indemnity receivable related to amounts withheld prior to August 2009																		$ 2,800
Indemnity receivable																							$ 4,900
South Carolina [Member] | Hospice [Member] | Extrapolated [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of beneficiaries | beneficiary												16
South Carolina [Member] | Hospice [Member] | Unfavorable [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Recovery amount of the overpayment made to the subsidiary						$ 3,700
Recovery amount of overpayment made to subsidiary including interest						$ 5,600
Number of claims submitted by subsidiary | claim						9
Recovery amount of over payment made to subsidiary including interest withheld																		5,700
US Department of Justice [Member] | Massachusetts [Member] | Hospice [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of patients | patient									53
US Department of Justice [Member] | Morgantown, West Virginia [Member] | Hospice [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of patients | patient							66
US Department of Justice [Member] | Parkersburg, West Virginia [Member] | Hospice [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of patients | patient				68
Wage and Hour Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Settlement awarded to other party								$ 8,000
Loss contingency accrual																										$ 5,300	$ 8,000
Wage and Hour Litigation [Member] | Connecticut [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of former employees who filled a putative collective and class action complaint | employee																						3
Payments for legal settlements																	$ 5,300
Wage and Hour Litigation [Member] | Illinois [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of former employees who filled a putative collective and class action complaint | employee											1
Settlement awarded to other party					$ 800
Loss contingency accrual																									$ 800
Payments for legal settlements			$ 600
Frontier Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Payments for legal settlements															$ 2,900
Frontier Litigation [Member] | Hospice [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of care centers sold | care_center														4
Frontier Litigation [Member] | Home Health [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of care centers sold | care_center														5
Securities Class Action Lawsuit [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual																								$ 43,700
Payments for legal settlements																			28,700
Settlement amount to be paid by Company's insurance carriers																			15,000
Securities Class Action Lawsuit settlement, net																			28,700
Idaho and Wyoming Self Report [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual																		1,300
OIG Self-Disclosure [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual																										$ 4,700
Payments for legal settlements																$ 4,700
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual																		17,400
Indemnity receivable																		10,900
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member] | Infinity HomeCare [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Indemnification amount													$ 12,600
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Florida Zpic revenue reduction																			$ 6,500
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Recovery amount of the overpayment made to the subsidiary													6,500
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Recovery amount of the overpayment made to the subsidiary													38,800					29,300
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member] | Infinity HomeCare [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Patient accounts receivable																		1,500
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Lakeland, Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Recovery amount of the overpayment made to the subsidiary													$ 34,000					26,000
Number of claims submitted by subsidiary | claim													72
Actual claims payment													$ 200
Error rate (percent)													100.00%
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Clearwater, Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Recovery amount of the overpayment made to the subsidiary													$ 4,800					3,300
Number of claims submitted by subsidiary | claim													70
Actual claims payment													$ 200
Error rate (percent)													100.00%
Internal Audit Compliance Review [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual																		$ 5,600
Subsequent Event [Member] | South Carolina [Member] | Hospice [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Indemnity receivable	$ 2,800
Other General and Administrative Expense	2,100
Indemnification amount	$ 2,800