Background and Basis of Presentation (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]

Schedule of business acquisitions

A summary of the transactions for 2012, 2011 and 2010 and the cash consideration paid are as follows (in millions):

Acquisitions:	Geographic Service Area	Date	Consideration
Family Home Care Corporation	Washington and Idaho	August 31, 2012	$	12.3
North Mississippi Hospice	Mississippi	August 31, 2012	4.5
Advocate Hospice	Indiana	July 22, 2012	5.5
Odyssey HealthCare of Augusta, LLC	Georgia	April 29, 2011	0.3
Odyssey HealthCare, Inc.	Nationwide	August 17, 2010	1,087.0
United Health Care Group, Inc.	Louisiana	May 15, 2010	6.0
Heart to Heart Hospice of Starkville, LLC	Mississippi	March 5, 2010	2.5

Home Health and Hospice [Member]

Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]

Schedule of Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations, Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures [Table Text Block]

A summary of the Company's operations which were sold during 2012, 2011 and 2010 is as follows (in millions):

Dispositions:	Date	Consideration
Phoenix area hospice operations	November 30, 2012	$	3.5
Gentiva Consulting	May 31, 2012	0.3
Louisiana home health and hospice operations	Second Quarter 2012	6.4
Certain home health branches-Utah, Michigan, Nevada and Brooklyn, New York	Fourth Quarter 2011	1.6
Iowa home health branch	January 30, 2010	0.3

The major classes of assets of the Home Health and Hospice branch operations that were sold were as follows (in thousands):

	2012						2011
	As of Date of Sale			December 31, 2011			As of Date of Sale
Assets:
Accounts receivable, net	$	561		$	526		$	—
Fixed assets, net	271			338			199
Intangible assets	1,356			1,356			703
Other assets	485			640			1
Total assets	2,673			2,860			903
Liabilities:
Medicare liabilities	(86		)	(18		)	—
Payroll liabilities	—			—			(22		)
Other accrued Expenses	(405		)	(41		)	—
Total liabilities	(491		)	(59		)	(22		)
Total	$	2,182		$	2,801		$	881

Home Maker Services Agency Rehab Without Wallsand HME and IV [Member]

Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]

Schedule of Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations, Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures [Table Text Block]

A summary of these transactions follows (in millions):

Discontinued operations:	Date	Consideration
IDOA	October 14, 2011	$	2.4
Rehab Without Walls®	September 10, 2011	9.8
HME and IV businesses	February 1, 2010	16.4