Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) Share data in Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 D Facility	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of uninsured discount extended for unqualified charity patients	30.00%
Establishment of partial reserve in the allowance for doubtful accounts for self-pay balances outstanding from the date of discharge, in days	90
Establishment of fully reserve for self-pay balances outstanding from the date of discharge, in days	90
Establishment of fully reserve in the allowance for doubtful accounts for third party liability accounts from the date of discharge, in days	180
Net of allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 311,000,000	$ 253,000,000
Patients treated at hospitals for non elective services gross income less than federal poverty guidelines	400.00%
Capitalize interest expense	5,700,000	400,000	7,600,000
Depreciation expense	270,500,000	262,100,000	197,300,000
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	99,000,000	97,000,000
Amount of estimated future payments related to physician-related contractual commitments	3,000,000	7,000,000
Amount of potential future financial obligations	3,000,000
Acute care facilities with outside owners holding non-controlling minority interest	5
Redeemable non-controlling interest balances	234,000,000	218,000,000
Non-controlling interest balances	53,000,000	51,000,000
Net excess tax benefits generated	0	0	0
Anti-dilutive weighted average stock options excluded from computation of earnings per share	2,000	1,400	1
Building Improvements | Minimum
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment, useful lives, maximum years	20 years
Building Improvements | Maximum
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment, useful lives, maximum years	40 years
Equipment | Minimum
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment, useful lives, maximum years	3 years
Equipment | Maximum
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment, useful lives, maximum years	15 years
Medicare And Medicaid
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue	39.00%	41.00%	42.00%
Care Entities
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue	49.00%	47.00%	51.00%
Illinois
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	70,000,000	54,000,000
Receivables due outstanding in excess of 60 days	$ 51,000,000	$ 41,000,000
Receivables days in excess	60
Las Vegas, Nevada
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue	14.00%	15.00%	20.00%
Las Vegas, Nevada | Acute Care Facilities
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of non-controlling, minority ownership interests held by outside owners	28.00%
Mcallen Edinburg Texas
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue	4.00%	5.00%	6.00%
Washington, D.C. | Acute Care Facilities
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of non-controlling, minority ownership interests held by outside owners	20.00%
Laredo, Texas | Acute Care Facilities
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of non-controlling, minority ownership interests held by outside owners	11.00%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Behavioral Health Care Facility
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of non-controlling, minority ownership interests held by outside owners	20.00%