Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Sep. 01, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014 D Facility	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jan. 01, 2014	Jan. 31, 2015
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
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
Patients treated at hospitals for non elective services gross income less than federal poverty guidelines		400.00%
Net of allowance for doubtful accounts		$ 325,000,000	$ 395,000,000
Provision for doubtful accounts		698,983,000	1,127,216,000	726,671,000
Capitalize interest expense			4,900,000	5,700,000
Depreciation expense		314,500,000	285,600,000	270,500,000
Impairment of goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible assets	0		0	0
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization		98,000,000	97,000,000
Amount of estimated future payments related to physician-related contractual commitments		2,000,000	3,000,000
Amount of potential future financial obligations		2,000,000
Acute care facilities with outside owners holding non-controlling minority interest		5
Redeemable non-controlling interest balances		240,000,000	218,000,000
Non-controlling interest balances		55,000,000	50,000,000
Anti-dilutive weighted average stock options excluded from computation of earnings per share		2,250.0	4,000.0	2,000,000
Revenue from Medicaid programs		8,764,309,000	8,411,038,000	7,688,071,000
Restricted Stock
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Restricted stock, vesting period			7 years
Acute Care Hospitals
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Provision for doubtful accounts		590,000,000	1,020,000,000
After Modification
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of uninsured discount extended for unqualified charity patients					60.00%
Before Modification
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of uninsured discount extended for unqualified charity patients					30.00%
State Medicaid programs
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Revenue from Medicaid programs		293,000,000	213,000,000	176,000,000
Revenue offset amount		137,000,000	84,000,000	93,000,000
Net aggregate benefit		156,000,000	130,000,000	83,000,000
Net revenues		59,000,000	54,000,000	47,000,000
Medicare And Medicaid | Net Revenue
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue		36.00%	38.00%	39.00%
Care Entities | Net Revenue
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue		50.00%	49.00%	49.00%
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%
Las Vegas, Nevada | Net Revenue
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue		14.00%	14.00%	14.00%
Washington, District of Columbia | 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%
Illinois
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable		44,000,000	49,000,000
Receivables due outstanding in excess of 60 days		23,000,000	28,000,000
Receivables days in excess		60
Texas
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable		102,000,000	62,000,000
Texas | Uncompensated Care Program
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable		45,000,000
Texas | Disproportionate Share Hospital Program
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable		33,000,000
Texas | Delivery System Reform Incentive Pool
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable		24,000,000
Texas | Subsequent Event | Delivery System Reform Incentive Pool
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable collection						$ 24,000,000
Building and Building Improvements | Minimum
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment, useful lives, maximum years		20 years
Building and 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