CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net service revenue	$ 507,043	$ 269,678	$ 1,300,121	$ 771,462
Cost of service revenue	322,196	172,856	831,818	488,384
Gross margin	184,847	96,822	468,303	283,078
General and administrative expenses	149,917	75,492	391,940	221,054
Operating income	34,930	21,330	76,363	62,024
Interest expense	(3,264)	(995)	(7,916)	(2,615)
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	31,666	20,335	68,447	59,409
Income tax expense	6,685	7,445	14,832	20,410
Net income	24,981	12,890	53,615	38,999
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	3,751	1,984	10,593	7,321
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$ 21,230	$ 10,906	$ 43,022	$ 31,678
Earnings per share attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholders:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.69	$ 0.61	$ 1.63	$ 1.79
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.68	$ 0.61	$ 1.61	$ 1.77
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	30,750,227	17,740,818	26,393,337	17,704,561
Diluted (in shares)	31,083,815	18,010,522	26,640,774	17,931,700