Number of shares issued during the period to employees related to Restricted stock awards.

No definition available.

Name:	lhcg_NonvestedStockGrantsToEmployees
Namespace Prefix:	lhcg_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of shares issued during the period to independent directors.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	lhcg_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of shares reserved for the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lhcg_NumberOfSharesReservedForEmployeeStockPurchasePlan
Namespace Prefix:	lhcg_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of directors stock grant vested on one year anniversary date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lhcg_PercentageOfDirectorsStockGrantVestedOnOneYearAnniversaryDate
Namespace Prefix:	lhcg_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of adjustment to stockholders' equity associated with an employee's income tax withholding obligation as part of a net-share settlement of a share-based award.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of expense for employee benefit and equity-based compensation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Unrecognized cost of unvested share-based compensation awards.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average period over which unrecognized compensation is expected to be recognized for equity-based compensation plans, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period which an employee's right to exercise an award is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

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Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The weighted average fair value at grant date for nonvested equity-based awards issued during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of additional shares authorized for issuance under an established share-based compensation plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) originally approved (usually by shareholders and board of directors), net of any subsequent amendments and adjustments, for awards under the equity-based compensation plan. As stock or unit options and equity instruments other than options are awarded to participants, the shares or units remain authorized and become reserved for issuance under outstanding awards (not necessarily vested).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Purchase price of common stock expressed as a percentage of its fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For net-share settlement of share-based awards when the employer settles employees' income tax withholding obligations, this element represents the number of shares the employees use to repay the employer.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharesPaidForTaxWithholdingForShareBasedCompensation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

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Name:	us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis=us-gaap_DirectorMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis=lhcg_AFAMOptionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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Stockholder's Equity - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 07, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock reserved and available for issuance (in shares)	2,194,074
Nonvested stock grants to Independent directors (in shares)	14,000
Percentage of directors' stock grant vested on one year anniversary date	100.00%
Granted (in dollars per share)	$ 64.11
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested shares of common stock granted	$ 21,400
Weighted average period of cost recognized	3 years 2 months 25 days
Compensation expense related to nonvested stock grants	$ 7,300	$ 4,500
Price of shares issued under Employee Stock Purchase Plan as a percentage of FMV	95.00%
Number of shares reserved for the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (in shares)	250,000
Additional shares authorized for issuance (in shares)	250,000
Shares redeemed to satisfy personal tax obligations (in shares)	67,919
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax	$ 6,719
Director
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Nonvested stock grants to Independent directors (in shares)	13,600
Period of vested shares	1 year
Employee
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Period of vested shares	5 years
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax	$ 4,500
AFAM Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares redeemed to satisfy personal tax obligations (in shares)	60,102
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax	$ 2,200
2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock reserved and available for issuance (in shares)	2,000,000		2,210,544
2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan \| Employee
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Nonvested stock grants to employees (in shares)	16,470
2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock reserved and available for issuance (in shares)	300,000
2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan \| Employee
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Nonvested stock grants to employees (in shares)	213,105