Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details 1) (USD $) In Millions	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 47.7	$ 48.3	$ 190.4	$ 80.7
Accounts receivable, net	219.2	206.7
Other current assets	143.5	151.2
Total current assets	410.4	406.2
Property and equipment, net	648.8	642.6
Goodwill	420.3	420.3
Intangible assets, net	42.8	48.8
Deferred income tax assets	622.5	679.3
Other long-term assets	126.2	174.9
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Total assets	2,271.00	2,372.10
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	45.4	44.6
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	242.7	314.7
Total current liabilities	288.1	359.3
Long-term debt, net of current portion	1,308.7	1,496.8
Other long-term liabilities	135.0	130.8
Intercompany payable	0	0
Total Liabilities	1,731.8	1,986.9
Commitments and contingencies
Convertible perpetual preferred stock	387.4	387.4
Shareholders' equity (deficit):
HealthSouth shareholders' equity (deficit)	67.9	(85.2)
Noncontrolling interests	83.9	83.0
Total shareholders' equity (deficit)	151.8	(2.2)	(782.3)	(897.6)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity (deficit)	2,271.0	2,372.1
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0.5	0.1	0.5	1.7
Accounts receivable, net	152.5	148.2
Other current assets	23.1	33.2
Total current assets	176.1	181.5
Property and equipment, net	474.4	465.2
Goodwill	264.7	264.7
Intangible assets, net	33.5	37.3
Deferred income tax assets	0	9.1
Other long-term assets	31.0	79.2
Intercompany receivable	651.8	490.1
Total assets	1,631.50	1,527.10
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	25.8	24.9
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	60.3	68.9
Total current liabilities	86.1	93.8
Long-term debt, net of current portion	76.1	83.3
Other long-term liabilities	10.8	11.3
Intercompany payable	0	0
Total Liabilities	173.0	188.4
Commitments and contingencies
Convertible perpetual preferred stock	0	0
Shareholders' equity (deficit):
HealthSouth shareholders' equity (deficit)	1,458.5	1,338.7
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders' equity (deficit)	1,458.5	1,338.7
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity (deficit)	1,631.5	1,527.1
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	2.3	2.4	2.6	2.8
Accounts receivable, net	63.5	57.6
Other current assets	75.3	73.4
Total current assets	141.1	133.4
Property and equipment, net	152.0	154.2
Goodwill	155.6	155.6
Intangible assets, net	8.9	11.1
Deferred income tax assets	64.5	66.0
Other long-term assets	37.7	35.4
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Total assets	559.80	555.70
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	9.7	12.9
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	75.5	63.2
Total current liabilities	85.2	76.1
Long-term debt, net of current portion	24.9	26.7
Other long-term liabilities	78.8	75.6
Intercompany payable	1,391.9	1,400.8
Total Liabilities	1,580.8	1,579.2
Commitments and contingencies
Convertible perpetual preferred stock	0	0
Shareholders' equity (deficit):
HealthSouth shareholders' equity (deficit)	(1,104.9)	(1,106.5)
Noncontrolling interests	83.9	83.0
Total shareholders' equity (deficit)	(1,021.0)	(1,023.5)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity (deficit)	559.8	555.7
Eliminating Entries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Other current assets	(19.4)	(4.0)
Total current assets	(19.4)	(4.0)
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Deferred income tax assets	(0.1)	0
Other long-term assets	(7.2)	(10.2)
Intercompany receivable	(1,745.4)	(1,633.0)
Total assets	(1,772.10)	(1,647.20)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(19.4)	(4.0)
Total current liabilities	(19.4)	(4.0)
Long-term debt, net of current portion	(7.2)	(10.2)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Intercompany payable	(1,391.9)	(1,400.8)
Total Liabilities	(1,418.5)	(1,415.0)
Commitments and contingencies
Convertible perpetual preferred stock	0	0
Shareholders' equity (deficit):
HealthSouth shareholders' equity (deficit)	(353.6)	(232.2)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders' equity (deficit)	(353.6)	(232.2)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity (deficit)	(1,772.1)	(1,647.2)
Parent Company [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	44.9	45.8	187.3	76.2
Accounts receivable, net	3.2	0.9
Other current assets	64.5	48.6
Total current assets	112.6	95.3
Property and equipment, net	22.4	23.2
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0.4	0.4
Deferred income tax assets	558.1	604.2
Other long-term assets	64.7	70.5
Intercompany receivable	1,093.6	1,142.9
Total assets	1,851.80	1,936.50
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	9.9	6.8
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	126.3	186.6
Total current liabilities	136.2	193.4
Long-term debt, net of current portion	1,214.9	1,397.0
Other long-term liabilities	45.4	43.9
Intercompany payable	0	0
Total Liabilities	1,396.5	1,634.3
Commitments and contingencies
Convertible perpetual preferred stock	387.4	387.4
Shareholders' equity (deficit):
HealthSouth shareholders' equity (deficit)	67.9	(85.2)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders' equity (deficit)	67.9	(85.2)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity (deficit)	$ 1,851.8	$ 1,936.5