CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net service revenue	$ 509,842	$ 507,043	$ 502,024	$ 291,054	$ 291,140	$ 269,678	$ 257,535	$ 244,249	$ 1,809,963	$ 1,062,602	$ 900,033
Cost of service revenue									1,156,357	675,810	557,650
Gross margin	185,303	184,847	181,020	102,436	103,714	96,822	96,377	89,879	653,606	386,792	342,383
General and administrative expenses									537,916	310,539	270,622
Impairment of intangibles and other									4,689	1,571	1,199
Operating income									111,001	74,682	70,562
Interest expense									(9,679)	(3,352)	(2,444)
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interests									101,322	71,330	68,118
Income tax expense									22,399	10,944	22,176
Net income									78,923	60,386	45,942
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									15,349	10,274	9,359
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$ 20,552	$ 21,230	$ 16,797	$ 4,995	$ 18,435	$ 10,906	$ 11,304	$ 9,467	$ 63,574	$ 50,112	$ 36,583
Earnings per share - basic:
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.67	$ 0.69	$ 0.55	$ 0.28	$ 1.04	$ 0.61	$ 0.64	$ 0.54	$ 2.31	$ 2.83	$ 2.08
Earnings per share - diluted:
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.66	$ 0.68	$ 0.55	$ 0.28	$ 1.02	$ 0.61	$ 0.63	$ 0.53	$ 2.29	$ 2.79	$ 2.07
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	30,777,556	30,750,227	30,497,501	17,789,863	17,749,872	17,740,818	17,728,567	17,643,463	27,498,351	17,715,992	17,559,477
Diluted (in shares)	31,142,061	31,083,815	30,742,293	18,039,345	18,043,297	18,010,522	17,964,387	17,817,880	27,773,396	17,961,018	17,682,820