Revenue Recognition (Schedule Of Patient Care Service Revenue) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	$ 1,319,851	$ 1,223,524
Net revenue	1,281,184	1,197,562
All Other Revenue- Self-pay, Respite Care, Etc. [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	10,433	7,831
Medicare Cap [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Medicare cap adjustment	(12,415)	(4,123)
Implicit Price Concessions [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Implicit price concessions	(14,893)	(11,785)
Room And Board [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Room and board, net	(11,359)	(10,054)
VITAS [Member] | Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	1,076,025	1,010,518
VITAS [Member] | Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	133,473	122,498
VITAS [Member] | Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	99,920	82,677
VITAS [Member] | Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	1,309,418	1,215,693
VITAS [Member] | Medicare [Member] | Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	1,003,308	939,951
VITAS [Member] | Medicare [Member] | Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	121,019	110,596
VITAS [Member] | Medicare [Member] | Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	84,752	69,354
VITAS [Member] | Medicare [Member] | Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	1,209,079	1,119,901
VITAS [Member] | Medicaid [Member] | Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	48,420	47,609
VITAS [Member] | Medicaid [Member] | Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	6,712	6,126
VITAS [Member] | Medicaid [Member] | Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	9,102	8,156
VITAS [Member] | Medicaid [Member] | Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	64,234	61,891
VITAS [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	24,297	22,958
VITAS [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	5,742	5,776
VITAS [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	6,066	5,167
VITAS [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	$ 36,105	$ 33,901