Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)				12 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 01, 2015 USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Facility shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) shares
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 days
Establishment of fully reserve for self-pay balances outstanding from the date of discharge, in days				90 days
Establishment of fully reserve in the allowance for doubtful accounts for third party liability accounts from the date of discharge, in days				180 days
Patients treated at hospitals for non elective services gross income less than federal poverty guidelines				400.00%
Percentage of uninsured discount extended for unqualified charity patients after modification			60.00%
Percentage of uninsured discount extended for unqualified charity patients before modification			30.00%
Net of allowance for doubtful accounts				$ 399,000,000	$ 325,000,000
Provision for doubtful accounts				741,273,000	698,983,000	$ 1,127,216,000
Capitalize interest expense				304,000	0	4,900,000
Depreciation expense				337,500,000	314,500,000	285,600,000
Impairment of goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible assets	$ 0	$ 0			0	$ 0
Intangible assets, net				219,000,000	98,000,000
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization				25,000,000	19,000,000
Amount of estimated future payments related to physician-related contractual commitments				1,000,000	2,000,000
Amount of potential future financial obligations				$ 1,000,000
Acute care facilities with outside owners holding non-controlling minority interest | Facility				6
Redeemable non-controlling interest balances				$ 243,000,000	240,000,000
Non-controlling interest balances				60,000,000	55,000,000
Net favorable cash inflows associated with forward exchange contracts				$ 22,900,000	$ 15,600,000
Anti-dilutive weighted average stock options excluded from computation of earnings per share | shares				765,000	2,250	4,000
Revenue from Medicaid programs				$ 9,784,724,000	$ 8,904,071,000	$ 8,495,089,000
Increase (decrease) in net revenue					140,000,000
Increase (decrease) in other operating expense						84,000,000
State Medicaid programs
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Revenue from Medicaid programs				307,000,000	295,000,000	213,000,000
Revenue offset amount				137,000,000	140,000,000	84,000,000
Net aggregate benefit				170,000,000	155,000,000	130,000,000
Net revenues				46,000,000	59,000,000	$ 54,000,000
Restricted Stock
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Restricted stock, vesting period						7 years
Tradename
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Intangible assets, net				124,000,000
Medicare Licenses
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Intangible assets, net				57,000,000	57,000,000
Certificates of Need
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Intangible assets, net				12,000,000	12,000,000
Contract Relationships and Other
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Intangible assets, net				$ 25,000,000
Contract Relationships
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Intangible assets, net					29,000,000
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
Acute Care Hospitals
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Provision for doubtful accounts				$ 631,000,000	$ 590,000,000	$ 1,020,000,000
Medicare And Medicaid | Net Revenue | Customer Concentration Risk
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue				35.00%	38.00%	39.00%
Care Entities | Net Revenue
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue				52.00%	50.00%	49.00%
Illinois
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable				$ 28,000,000	$ 44,000,000
Illinois | Financing Receivables in Excess 60 Days Past Due
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Receivables due outstanding in excess of 60 days				12,000,000	23,000,000
Texas
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable				80,000,000	$ 102,000,000
Texas | Uncompensated Care Program
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable				47,000,000
Texas | Disproportionate Share Hospital Program
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable				9,000,000
Texas | Delivery System Reform Incentive Pool
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable				$ 24,000,000
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 | Geographic Concentration Risk
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue				13.00%	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%