Revenue Recognition (Schedule Of Patient Care Service Revenue) (Details) - VITAS [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	$ 340,098	$ 330,147	$ 1,026,948	$ 968,196
Medicare cap adjustment	(4,100)
Net revenue	337,097	321,748	1,002,477	941,279
Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	278,856	274,746	826,954	800,059
Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	30,699	29,446	105,836	92,476
Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	27,633	23,599	85,983	69,063
Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	337,188	327,791	1,018,773	961,598
All Other Revenue- Self-pay, Respite Care, Etc. [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	2,910	2,356	8,175	6,598
Medicare Cap [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Medicare cap adjustment	4,072	(1,317)	(4,178)	(7,915)
Implicit Price Concessions [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Implicit price concessions	(3,784)	(4,236)	(10,976)	(10,904)
Room And Board [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Room and board, net	(3,289)	(2,846)	(9,317)	(8,098)
Medicare [Member] | Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	260,658	255,856	772,162	745,835
Medicare [Member] | Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	27,739	26,423	96,354	83,372
Medicare [Member] | Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	24,199	20,038	74,796	58,309
Medicare [Member] | Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	312,596	302,317	943,312	887,516
Medicaid [Member] | Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	12,107	12,332	36,914	35,913
Medicaid [Member] | Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	1,364	1,549	4,856	4,744
Medicaid [Member] | Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	2,415	1,976	7,285	6,241
Medicaid [Member] | Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	15,886	15,857	49,055	46,898
Commercial [Member] | Routine Home Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	6,091	6,558	17,878	18,311
Commercial [Member] | Continuous Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	1,596	1,474	4,626	4,360
Commercial [Member] | Inpatient Care [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	1,019	1,585	3,902	4,513
Commercial [Member] | Care Services Total [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Patient care service revenue	$ 8,706	$ 9,617	$ 26,406	$ 27,184