CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net service revenue	$ 914,823	$ 816,366	$ 733,632
Cost of service revenue	557,650	480,878	434,775
Gross margin	357,173	335,488	298,857
Provision for bad debts	14,790	19,243	15,780
General and administrative expenses	270,622	247,919	233,898
Impairment of intangibles and other		1,273	3,646
Loss on disposal of assets	1,199	710	47
Operating income	70,562	66,343	45,486
Interest expense	(2,936)	(2,302)	(2,486)
Non-operating income	492	457	265
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests	68,118	64,498	43,265
Income tax expense	22,176	22,848	14,513
Income from continuing operations	45,942	41,650	28,752
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	9,359	9,315	6,915
Net Income Attributable to LHC Group Inc.'s Common Stockholders	$ 36,583	$ 32,335	$ 21,837
Earnings Per Share - Basic:
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.' common stockholders	$ 2.08	$ 1.86	$ 1.27
Earnings Per Share - Diluted:
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.' common stockholders	$ 2.07	$ 1.84	$ 1.26
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding:
Basic	17,559,477	17,405,379	17,229,026
Diluted	17,682,820	17,547,531	17,315,333