<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2014-07-18</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000785161</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>HEALTHSOUTH CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>HLS</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001189149</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>MAUPIN JOHN E JR D D S</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>750 PARK AVENUE NE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>UNIT 16 S</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ATLANTA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>GA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>30326</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Healthsouth Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2014-07-18</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>7</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>35.99</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>52958</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Pursuant to HealthSouth Corporation's Directors Deferred Stock Investment Plan (the &quot;Plan&quot;), cash dividends on shares of HealthSouth common stock held under the Plan are reinvested by the Plan administrator. The Plan is a nonqualified deferral plan adopted and approved by the Board of Directors, effective November 1, 2007, allowing non-employee directors to make elections to defer fixed percentages of their directors fees for the following year. The deferred fees fund the purchase of HealthSouth common stock by the Plan administrator in the market for the account of each participating director and such stock is entitled to cash dividends under the Plan. On July 15, 2014, the Company paid a dividend on common stock of $0.18 per share. The transaction reported on this Form 4 is a purchase of shares of common stock of HealthSouth in the market with that dividend payment.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ John P. Whittington, attorney-in-fact for John E. Maupin, Jr., D.D.S.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2014-07-21</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
