Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 54,590	$ 61,228	$ 35,078	$ 32,069
Accounts receivable, net	1,374,737	1,302,429
Supplies	116,725	116,037
Deferred income taxes	0	135,120
Other current assets	89,386	103,490
Total current assets	1,635,438	1,718,304
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Intercompany note receivable	0	0
Property and equipment	6,655,292	6,530,569
Less: accumulated depreciation	(2,774,740)	(2,694,591)
Property, plant and equipment, net, Total	3,880,552	3,835,978
Other assets:
Goodwill	3,594,901	3,596,114
Deferred charges	16,235	16,688
Other	437,883	448,360
Total assets	9,565,009	9,615,444	9,062,403
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	488,262	62,722
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,147,384	1,033,697
Federal and state taxes	49,794	3,987
Total current liabilities	1,685,440	1,100,406
Intercompany payable	0	0
Intercompany note payable	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	295,684	278,834
Long-term debt	2,792,144	3,368,634
Deferred income taxes	178,947	315,900
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	261,492	242,509
Equity:
UHS common stockholders’ equity	4,289,218	4,249,647
Noncontrolling interest	62,084	59,514
Total equity	4,351,302	4,309,161
Liabilities and Equity, Total	9,565,009	9,615,444
Parent
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Supplies	0	0
Deferred income taxes		132,975
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	132,975
Investments in subsidiaries	7,974,369	7,760,156
Intercompany receivable	0	80,764
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	6,708	7,208
Other	8,180	14,251
Total assets	7,989,257	7,995,354
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	485,862	60,368
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	20,343	19,996
Federal and state taxes	49,794	3,987
Total current liabilities	555,999	84,351
Intercompany payable	186,164	0
Intercompany note payable	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	11,324	1,982
Long-term debt	2,767,605	3,343,474
Deferred income taxes	178,947	315,900
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Equity:
UHS common stockholders’ equity	4,289,218	4,249,647
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	4,289,218	4,249,647
Liabilities and Equity, Total	7,989,257	7,995,354
Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	40,381	47,192	15,518	21,784
Accounts receivable, net	957,504	918,699
Supplies	72,559	72,499
Deferred income taxes		2,145
Other current assets	67,954	89,973
Total current assets	1,138,398	1,130,508
Investments in subsidiaries	1,946,590	1,876,415
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Intercompany note receivable	0	0
Property and equipment	4,782,483	4,722,050
Less: accumulated depreciation	(1,897,760)	(1,845,746)
Property, plant and equipment, net, Total	2,884,723	2,876,304
Other assets:
Goodwill	3,065,409	3,070,061
Deferred charges	5,586	5,530
Other	390,548	394,998
Total assets	9,431,254	9,353,816
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,241	1,223
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	821,832	744,137
Federal and state taxes	0	0
Total current liabilities	823,073	745,360
Intercompany payable	615,485	828,473
Intercompany note payable	1,242,937	1,242,937
Other noncurrent liabilities	213,818	206,287
Long-term debt	16,468	16,790
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Equity:
UHS common stockholders’ equity	6,519,473	6,313,969
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	6,519,473	6,313,969
Liabilities and Equity, Total	9,431,254	9,353,816
Non Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	14,209	14,036	19,560	10,285
Accounts receivable, net	417,233	383,730
Supplies	44,166	43,538
Deferred income taxes		0
Other current assets	21,432	13,517
Total current assets	497,040	454,821
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany receivable	801,649	747,709
Intercompany note receivable	1,242,937	1,242,937
Property and equipment	1,872,809	1,808,519
Less: accumulated depreciation	(876,980)	(848,845)
Property, plant and equipment, net, Total	995,829	959,674
Other assets:
Goodwill	529,492	526,053
Deferred charges	3,941	3,950
Other	39,155	39,111
Total assets	4,110,043	3,974,255
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,159	1,131
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	305,209	269,564
Federal and state taxes	0	0
Total current liabilities	306,368	270,695
Intercompany payable	0	0
Intercompany note payable	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	70,542	70,565
Long-term debt	8,071	8,370
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	261,492	242,509
Equity:
UHS common stockholders’ equity	3,401,486	3,322,602
Noncontrolling interest	62,084	59,514
Total equity	3,463,570	3,382,116
Liabilities and Equity, Total	4,110,043	3,974,255
Consolidating Adjustments
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(9,920,959)	(9,636,571)
Intercompany receivable	(801,649)	(828,473)
Intercompany note receivable	(1,242,937)	(1,242,937)
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	(11,965,545)	(11,707,981)
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	(801,649)	(828,473)
Intercompany note payable	(1,242,937)	(1,242,937)
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	(9,920,959)	(9,636,571)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	(9,920,959)	(9,636,571)
Liabilities and Equity, Total	$ (11,965,545)	$ (11,707,981)