Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 61,228	$ 32,069	$ 17,238	$ 23,471
Accounts receivable, net	1,302,429	1,282,735
Supplies	116,037	108,115
Deferred income taxes	135,120	114,565
Other current assets	103,490	77,654
Total current assets	1,718,304	1,615,138
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Intercompany note receivable	0	0
Property and equipment	6,530,569	6,212,030
Less: accumulated depreciation	(2,694,591)	(2,532,341)
Property, plant and equipment, net, Total	3,835,978	3,679,689
Other assets:
Goodwill	3,596,114	3,291,213	3,049,016
Deferred charges	35,357	40,319
Other	448,360	348,084
Total assets	9,634,113	8,974,443	8,311,723
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	62,722	68,319
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,033,697	1,113,062
Federal and state taxes	3,987	1,446
Total current liabilities	1,100,406	1,182,827
Intercompany payable	0	0
Intercompany note payable	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	278,834	268,555
Long-term debt	3,387,303	3,210,215
Deferred income taxes	315,900	282,214
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	242,509	239,552
Equity:
UHS common stockholders’ equity	4,249,647	3,735,946
Noncontrolling interest	59,514	55,134
Total Equity	4,309,161	3,791,080	3,300,229	2,765,949
Liabilities and Equity, Total	9,634,113	8,974,443
Parent
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Supplies	0	0
Deferred income taxes	132,975	113,822
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	132,975	113,822
Investments in subsidiaries	7,760,156	7,013,540
Intercompany receivable	80,764	103,808
Intercompany note receivable	0	0
Property and equipment	0	0
Less: accumulated depreciation	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net, Total	0	0
Other assets:
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred charges	25,877	32,379
Other	14,251	9,601
Total assets	8,014,023	7,273,150
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	60,368	44,874
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	19,996	20,245
Federal and state taxes	3,987	1,446
Total current liabilities	84,351	66,565
Intercompany payable	0	0
Intercompany note payable	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	1,982	1,322
Long-term debt	3,362,143	3,187,103
Deferred income taxes	315,900	282,214
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Equity:
UHS common stockholders’ equity	4,249,647	3,735,946
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total Equity	4,249,647	3,735,946
Liabilities and Equity, Total	8,014,023	7,273,150
Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	47,192	21,784	7,990	11,949
Accounts receivable, net	918,699	933,971
Supplies	72,499	67,847
Deferred income taxes	2,145	743
Other current assets	89,973	62,431
Total current assets	1,130,508	1,086,776
Investments in subsidiaries	1,876,415	1,661,296
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Intercompany note receivable	0	0
Property and equipment	4,722,050	4,494,567
Less: accumulated depreciation	(1,845,746)	(1,686,192)
Property, plant and equipment, net, Total	2,876,304	2,808,375
Other assets:
Goodwill	3,070,061	2,764,555
Deferred charges	5,530	5,402
Other	394,998	283,302
Total assets	9,353,816	8,609,706
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,223	1,260
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	744,137	1,051,309
Federal and state taxes	0	0
Total current liabilities	745,360	1,052,569
Intercompany payable	828,473	512,490
Intercompany note payable	1,242,937	1,222,637
Other noncurrent liabilities	206,287	189,456
Long-term debt	16,790	20,212
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Equity:
UHS common stockholders’ equity	6,313,969	5,612,342
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total Equity	6,313,969	5,612,342
Liabilities and Equity, Total	9,353,816	8,609,706
Non Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	14,036	10,285	9,248	11,522
Accounts receivable, net	383,730	348,764
Supplies	43,538	40,268
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other current assets	13,517	15,223
Total current assets	454,821	414,540
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany receivable	747,709	408,682
Intercompany note receivable	1,242,937	1,222,637
Property and equipment	1,808,519	1,717,463
Less: accumulated depreciation	(848,845)	(846,149)
Property, plant and equipment, net, Total	959,674	871,314
Other assets:
Goodwill	526,053	526,658
Deferred charges	3,950	2,538
Other	39,111	55,181
Total assets	3,974,255	3,501,550
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,131	22,185
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	269,564	41,508
Federal and state taxes	0	0
Total current liabilities	270,695	63,693
Intercompany payable	0	0
Intercompany note payable	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	70,565	77,777
Long-term debt	8,370	2,900
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	242,509	239,552
Equity:
UHS common stockholders’ equity	3,322,602	3,062,494
Noncontrolling interest	59,514	55,134
Total Equity	3,382,116	3,117,628
Liabilities and Equity, Total	3,974,255	3,501,550
Consolidating Adjustments
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Supplies	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(9,636,571)	(8,674,836)
Intercompany receivable	(828,473)	(512,490)
Intercompany note receivable	(1,242,937)	(1,222,637)
Property and equipment	0	0
Less: accumulated depreciation	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net, Total	0	0
Other assets:
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred charges	0	0
Other	0	0
Total assets	(11,707,981)	(10,409,963)
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0
Federal and state taxes	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Intercompany payable	(828,473)	(512,490)
Intercompany note payable	(1,242,937)	(1,222,637)
Other noncurrent liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Equity:
UHS common stockholders’ equity	(9,636,571)	(8,674,836)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total Equity	(9,636,571)	(8,674,836)
Liabilities and Equity, Total	$ (11,707,981)	$ (10,409,963)