Revenue Recognition (Schedule Of Patient Care Service Revenue) (Details) - VITAS [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	$ 347,946	$ 315,671
Net revenue	337,916	306,781
Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	271,762	258,847
Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	40,555	32,244
Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	32,482	22,570
Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	344,799	313,661
All Other Revenue- Self-pay, Respite Care, Etc. [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	3,147	2,010
Medicare Cap [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Medicare cap adjustment	(2,500)	(3,400)
Implicit Price Concessions [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Implicit price concessions	(4,149)	(2,948)
Room And Board [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Room and board, net	(3,381)	(2,542)
Medicare [Member] | Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	253,965	241,700
Medicare [Member] | Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	37,132	28,973
Medicare [Member] | Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	28,148	18,989
Medicare [Member] | Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	319,245	289,662
Medicaid [Member] | Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	12,133	11,673
Medicaid [Member] | Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	1,871	1,787
Medicaid [Member] | Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	2,559	2,148
Medicaid [Member] | Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	16,563	15,608
Commercial [Member] | Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	5,664	5,474
Commercial [Member] | Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	1,552	1,484
Commercial [Member] | Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	1,775	1,433
Commercial [Member] | Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	$ 8,991	$ 8,391