Concentration of Credit Risk (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) item	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) item	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Balance Sheets:
Real estate and other property, net		$ 11,925,769		$ 11,925,769		$ 11,994,703
Cash and cash equivalents		116,450	$ 115,770	116,450	$ 115,770	346,500	$ 183,810
Goodwill, intangible and other assets, net		791,431		791,431		802,273
Total assets	[1]	21,116,457		21,116,457		21,449,849
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other		482,133		482,133		436,239
Total equity		9,676,388	10,526,997	9,676,388	10,526,997	9,746,317	$ 10,997,099
Total liabilities and equity		21,116,457		21,116,457		21,449,849
Income Statements:
Revenues		662,176	607,532	1,302,958	1,218,323
Operating, general and administrative expense		(180,125)	(136,342)	(357,080)	(268,373)
Depreciation and amortization expense		(141,386)	(120,403)	(282,708)	(234,925)
Interest expense		(121,333)	(118,632)	(243,395)	(235,412)
Other income, net		121,894	11,116	123,116	19,104
Loss on disposal of assets		119,614	61	119,614	6,325
Impairment			(44,835)		(523,299)
Income tax benefit (expense)		2,003	4,563	(51,035)	4,640
Net income (loss)		$ 304,842	$ 167,748	$ 424,587	(69,755)
Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)		20.00%	25.00%
Brookdale | Minimum
Income Statements:
Management fees as percentage of gross revenues				4.50%
Brookdale | Maximum
Income Statements:
Management fees as percentage of gross revenues				5.00%
HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)		6.00%	8.00%
Balance Sheets:
Real estate and other property, net		$ 2,582,600		$ 2,582,600		2,628,500
Cash and cash equivalents		174,400		174,400		125,000
Goodwill, intangible and other assets, net		4,518,500		4,518,500		4,598,300
Total assets		7,275,500		7,275,500		7,351,800
Debt and financing obligations		5,775,000		5,775,000		5,836,400
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other		1,001,900		1,001,900		982,900
Redeemable preferred stock		2,100		2,100		2,100
Total equity		496,500		496,500		530,400
Total liabilities and equity		7,275,500		7,275,500		$ 7,351,800
Income Statements:
Revenues		957,700	$ 1,027,500	1,942,200	2,081,500
Operating, general and administrative expense		(831,400)	(884,200)	(1,688,600)	(1,782,100)
Depreciation and amortization expense		(32,600)	(35,400)	(65,100)	(71,300)
Interest expense		(115,100)	(119,900)	(230,200)	(220,200)
Other income, net		4,800	2,100	8,300	4,900
Loss on disposal of assets		(5,900)		(2,600)
Impairment		(6,000)		(6,000)
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax (expense) benefit		(28,500)	(9,900)	(42,000)	12,800
Income tax benefit (expense)		5,300	4,500	8,200	(5,600)
(Loss) income from continuing operations		(23,200)	(5,400)	(33,800)	7,200
Income from discontinued operations, net of taxes		(100)	(7,100)		(6,000)
Net income (loss)		$ (23,300)	$ (12,500)	$ (33,800)	$ 1,200
Senior housing | CCRC JV
Concentration of risk
Number of RIDEA joint ventures | item				2
Senior housing | Management and Accounting Services | Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Number of RIDEA joint ventures | item				15
Investments in Joint Ventures Senior Housing Facilities Number | item		107		107
Tenants and Operators | Post-acute/skilled nursing | HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)		78.00%	78.00%
Management and Accounting Services | Brookdale | Minimum
Income Statements:
Management Agreement Number of Renewals | item				3
Management and Accounting Services | Brookdale | Maximum
Income Statements:
Management Agreement Number of Renewals | item				4
Management and Accounting Services | Senior housing | Brookdale
Income Statements:
Management agreement renewal term (in years)				5 years
Management and Accounting Services | Senior housing | Brookdale | Minimum
Income Statements:
Management agreement term (in years)				10 years
Management and Accounting Services | Senior housing | Brookdale | Maximum
Income Statements:
Management agreement term (in years)				15 years
Assets | Tenants and Operators | Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				13.00%		12.00%
Assets | Tenants and Operators | HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				24.00%		23.00%
Assets | Tenants and Operators | Senior housing | Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				28.00%		28.00%
Assets | Tenants and Operators | Senior housing | HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				12.00%		12.00%
Assets | Tenants and Operators | Post-acute/skilled nursing | HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				79.00%		64.00%
Revenue | Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)		9.00%	10.00%
Revenue | HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)		18.00%	23.00%
Revenue | Tenants and Operators | Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				10.00%	10.00%
Revenue | Tenants and Operators | HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				18.00%	24.00%
Revenue | Tenants and Operators | Senior housing | Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				21.00%	25.00%
Revenue | Tenants and Operators | Senior housing | HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				6.00%	8.00%
Revenue | Tenants and Operators | Post-acute/skilled nursing | HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				78.00%	79.00%

[1] HCP, Inc.’s consolidated total assets and total liabilities at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015 include certain assets of variable interest entities (“VIEs”) that can only be used to settle the liabilities of the related VIE. The VIE creditors do not have recourse to HCP, Inc. Total assets at June 30, 2016 include VIE assets as follows: buildings and improvements $3.4 billion; development costs $16 million; land $324 million; accumulated depreciation and amortization $598 million; investments in unconsolidated joint ventures $14 million; accounts receivable $25 million; cash $59 million; restricted cash $25 million; intangible assets, net $184 million; and other assets, net $62 million. Total assets at December 31, 2015 include VIE assets as follows: buildings and improvements $3.4 billion; development costs $54 million; land $327 million; accumulated depreciation and amortization $537 million; investments in unconsolidated joint ventures $14 million; accounts receivable $19 million; cash $61 million; restricted cash $21 million; intangible assets, net $204 million; and other assets, net $63 million. Total liabilities at June 30, 2016 include VIE liabilities as follows: mortgage debt $571 million; intangible liabilities, net $10 million; accounts payable and accrued liabilities $116 million and deferred revenue $25 million. Total liabilities at December 31, 2015 include VIE liabilities as follows: mortgage debt $589 million; intangible liabilities, net $10 million; accounts payable and accrued liabilities $107 million and deferred revenue $19 million. See Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.