Segment Information (Details) - 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
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [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
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 (benefit)									22,399	10,944	22,176
Net income									78,923	60,386	45,942
Less net income (loss) 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
Total assets	1,928,715				793,702				1,928,715	793,702	614,071
Home health
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue									1,291,457	777,583	656,287
Cost of service revenue									802,006	482,179	398,450
General and administrative expenses									378,124	229,264	203,418
Impairment of intangibles and other									1,816	1,612	857
Operating income									109,511	64,528	53,562
Interest expense									(7,060)	(2,546)	(1,794)
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interests									102,451	61,982	51,768
Income tax expense (benefit)									22,711	9,509	16,505
Net income									79,740	52,473	35,263
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests									13,361	9,102	6,876
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders									66,379	43,371	28,387
Total assets	1,336,988				534,385				1,336,988	534,385	427,782
Hospice
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue									199,118	157,287	131,547
Cost of service revenue									130,991	103,969	83,359
General and administrative expenses									60,933	45,516	37,207
Impairment of intangibles and other									186	22	338
Operating income									7,008	7,780	10,643
Interest expense									(1,529)	(511)	(292)
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interests									5,479	7,269	10,351
Income tax expense (benefit)									1,227	1,057	3,485
Net income									4,252	6,212	6,866
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests									1,764	1,248	1,867
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders									2,488	4,964	4,999
Total assets	209,680				155,230				209,680	155,230	116,090
Home and community-based
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue									172,501	46,159	43,094
Cost of service revenue									130,660	35,244	32,603
General and administrative expenses									40,467	9,946	8,785
Impairment of intangibles and other									(6)	0	49
Operating income									1,380	969	1,657
Interest expense									(76)	(191)	(130)
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interests									1,304	778	1,527
Income tax expense (benefit)									420	156	651
Net income									884	622	876
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests									(275)	(111)	(58)
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders									1,159	733	934
Total assets	236,072				48,216				236,072	48,216	33,520
Facility-based
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue									113,784	81,573	69,105
Cost of service revenue									76,899	54,418	43,238
General and administrative expenses									39,638	25,813	21,212
Impairment of intangibles and other									554	(63)	(45)
Operating income									(3,307)	1,405	4,700
Interest expense									(545)	(104)	(228)
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interests									(3,852)	1,301	4,472
Income tax expense (benefit)									(1,136)	222	1,535
Net income									(2,716)	1,079	2,937
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests									589	35	674
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders									(3,305)	1,044	2,263
Total assets	70,261				55,871				70,261	55,871	36,679
Healthcare innovations
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue									33,103	0	0
Cost of service revenue									15,801	0	0
General and administrative expenses									18,754	0	0
Impairment of intangibles and other									2,139		0
Operating income									(3,591)	0	0
Interest expense									(469)	0	0
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interests									(4,060)	0	0
Income tax expense (benefit)									(823)	0	0
Net income									(3,237)	0	0
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests									(90)	0	0
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders									(3,147)	0	0
Total assets	$ 75,714				$ 0				$ 75,714	$ 0	$ 0