Gentiva Merger - Additional Information (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 09, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) Location State $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Common stock, par value | $ / shares			$ 0.25	$ 0.25
Issuance of common stock in Gentiva Merger (see Note 2)			$ 177,456
Business Acquisition transaction costs			37,900	$ 10,800
Business acquisition retention and severance costs			60,300
Payment for early termination of lease			800
Business Acquisition financing costs			23,400	17,000
Proceeds from note receivable		$ 25,000	25,000
Gross contractual accounts receivable			278,900
Contractual accounts receivable estimated to be uncollectable			$ 13,900
Weighted average life (in years)			3 years
Goodwill			$ 2,669,810	997,597	$ 992,102
Home Health
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill			739,677	117,589	112,378
Hospice
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill			639,006	$ 26,910	$ 26,910
Community Care
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill			166,312
General and Administrative Expenses
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition financing costs			6,000
Interest Expense
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition financing costs			$ 17,400
Gentiva Health Services Inc
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Merger agreement, date of agreement and plan			Oct. 09, 2014
Merger agreement, latest consummation date			Feb. 02, 2015
Common stock, par value | $ / shares	$ 0.10		$ 0.25
Merger agreement, cash consideration per share of common stock | $ / shares	$ 14.50
Merger agreement, conversion ratio of common stock issuable	0.257
Business acquisition, purchase price	$ 722,300
Purchase price, cash consideration	544,800
Issuance of common stock in Gentiva Merger (see Note 2)	177,500
long-term debt assumed and paid	$ 1,200,000
Number of locations | Location				491
Number of states | State				40
Goodwill			$ 1,392,902
Transaction financing and severance costs included in unaudited pro forma financial data			139,400
Revenues associated with merger			1,900,000
Earnings before interest, income taxes, transaction, integration, retention and severance costs associated with merger			235,700
Gentiva Health Services Inc | Home Health
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill			613,300
Gentiva Health Services Inc | Hospice
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill			613,300
Gentiva Health Services Inc | Community Care
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill			$ 166,300