Segment Reporting (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gross inpatient revenues		$ 10,347,011	$ 9,647,713
Gross outpatient revenues		4,941,480	4,524,160
Total net revenues		2,829,667	2,804,391
Income/(loss) before allocation of corporate overhead and income taxes		190,783	296,296
Allocation of corporate overhead		0	0
Income before income taxes		190,783	296,296
Total assets		11,620,426	11,721,277	$ 11,668,250
Acute Care Hospital Services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gross inpatient revenues		7,821,472	7,163,714
Gross outpatient revenues		4,681,741	4,257,614
Total net revenues		1,521,049	1,514,844
Income/(loss) before allocation of corporate overhead and income taxes		103,537	192,213
Allocation of corporate overhead		(55,973)	(57,500)
Income before income taxes		47,564	134,713
Total assets		4,387,355	4,372,628
Behavioral Health Services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gross inpatient revenues	[1]	2,525,539	2,483,999
Gross outpatient revenues	[1]	259,739	266,546
Total net revenues	[1]	1,306,109	1,286,383
Income/(loss) before allocation of corporate overhead and income taxes	[1]	237,683	244,168
Allocation of corporate overhead	[1]	(42,730)	(41,647)
Income before income taxes	[1]	194,953	202,521
Total assets	[1]	6,871,852	6,972,929
Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gross inpatient revenues		0	0
Gross outpatient revenues		0	0
Total net revenues		2,509	3,164
Income/(loss) before allocation of corporate overhead and income taxes		(150,437)	(140,085)
Allocation of corporate overhead		98,703	99,147
Income before income taxes		(51,734)	(40,938)
Total assets		$ 361,219	$ 375,720

[1] Includes net revenues generated from our behavioral health care facilities located in the U.K. amounting to approximately $137 million for each of the three-month periods ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. Total assets at our U.K. behavioral health care facilities were approximately $1.197 billion and $1.237 billion as of March 31, 2020 and 2019.