Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details)			3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jan. 01, 2019 USD ($)	Apr. 29, 2016 Hospital	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($) Hospital state bed	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($) Hospital state bed	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Hospital
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of hospitals owned or leased | Hospital			26		26
Number of states in which entity operates | state			14		14
Number of licensed beds | bed			2,458		2,458
Increase (decrease) in net operating revenues during period for transaction price adjustments related to estimated cost report settlements			$ 300,000	$ 400,000	$ 2,100,000	$ 100,000
Net operating revenues			442,170,000	472,632,000	884,975,000	959,452,000
Provider taxes			1,646,000	33,627,000	35,610,000	66,682,000
Gross amounts of charity care revenues			7,400,000	6,000,000	12,300,000	19,300,000
Accounts receivable, net of contractual adjustments			270,923,000		270,923,000		$ 322,608,000
Due from third-party payors			57,071,000		57,071,000		63,443,000
General and administrative costs			11,400,000	20,000,000	24,000,000	34,900,000
Severance costs			82,000	4,068,000	1,572,000	5,966,000
Operating lease right-of-use assets			84,854,000		84,854,000		0
Operating lease liabilities			87,164,000		87,164,000
Acquired finite-lived intangible asset, residual value			0		$ 0
New date of annual goodwill impairment test					The Company performs its annual testing of impairment for goodwill in the fourth quarter of each year.
Noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests					The Company’s consolidated financial statements include all assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of less than 100% owned entities that it controls.
Maximum period during which assets held for sale sold					12 months
Accrued Salaries and Benefits [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Undiscounted reserve for self-insured employee health benefits			$ 9,000,000		$ 9,000,000		10,400,000
Capitalized Internal Use Software, Except Significant System Conversions [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life					3 years
Community Health Systems, Inc [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of Hospitals | Hospital								4
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Operating lease right-of-use assets	$ 93,700,000
Operating lease liabilities	95,600,000
Cumulative effect adjustment that increased accumulated deficit	$ 700,000
Equipment Leases [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Operating lease, initial term			3 years		3 years
Minimum [Member] | Capitalized Internal Use Software, Significant System Conversions [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life					8 years
Minimum [Member] | Land Improvements [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life of asset					3 years
Minimum [Member] | Buildings and Improvements [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life of asset					5 years
Minimum [Member] | Equipment and Fixtures [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life of asset					3 years
Minimum [Member] | Real Estate Leases [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Operating lease, initial term			5 years		5 years
Operating lease, renewal term			5 years		5 years
Maximum [Member] | Capitalized Internal Use Software, Significant System Conversions [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life					10 years
Maximum [Member] | Land Improvements [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life of asset					20 years
Maximum [Member] | Buildings and Improvements [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life of asset					40 years
Maximum [Member] | Equipment and Fixtures [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life of asset					18 years
Maximum [Member] | Real Estate Leases [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Operating lease, initial term			10 years		10 years
Operating lease, renewal term			10 years		10 years
Corporate Office [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Severance costs			$ 0	2,700,000	$ 0	4,600,000
Illinois [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of hospitals owned or leased | Hospital			8		8
Net operating revenues					$ 337,928,000	373,372,000
California [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of hospitals owned or leased | Hospital			2		2
Net operating revenues					$ 89,676,000	89,972,000
California Hospital Quality Assurance Fee [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Net operating revenues			$ 8,000,000	7,900,000	16,000,000	15,800,000
Provider taxes			2,200,000	2,100,000	4,400,000	4,200,000
Illinois Hospital Credit Program [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Net operating revenues			2,000,000	0	4,000,000	0
Medicare [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Net operating revenues			119,885,000	130,106,000	248,931,000	274,689,000
Accounts receivable, net of contractual adjustments			49,500,000		49,500,000		58,200,000
Medicaid [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Net operating revenues			96,794,000	87,141,000	178,718,000	172,244,000
Medicaid [Member] | Illinois [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, net of contractual adjustments			22,300,000		22,300,000		24,500,000
Medicaid [Member] | California [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Due from third-party payors			31,300,000		31,300,000		$ 37,800,000
Hospital Operations Reporting Unit [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Net operating revenues			$ 426,618,000	$ 453,660,000	$ 852,771,000	$ 920,826,000
Sales Revenue, Segment [Member] | Segment Concentration Risk [Member] | Hospital Operations Reporting Unit [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage					95.00%
Accounts Receivable [Member] | Credit Concentration Risk [Member] | Medicare [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage					18.30%		18.00%
Accounts Receivable [Member] | Credit Concentration Risk [Member] | Medicaid [Member] | Illinois [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage					8.30%		7.60%
Supplemental Program Receivables | Credit Concentration Risk [Member] | Medicaid [Member] | California [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage					54.80%		59.60%
Spin-off from CHS [Member]
Basis Of Presentation And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of hospitals owned or leased | Hospital		38
Percentage ownership of number of stock shares held by the parent		100.00%
Record date for stockholders of the parent to be eligible to receive share distribution in spin-off		Apr. 22, 2016