Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) Hospital EndoscopyCenter SurgeryCenter Claim State	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) Claim	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of owned and operated hospitals | Hospital		186
Number of freestanding surgery centers | SurgeryCenter		124
Number of freestanding endoscopy centers | EndoscopyCenter		24
Number of facilities locations | State		20
General and administrative expense		$ 315,000,000	$ 307,000,000	$ 337,000,000
Adjustments to estimated reimbursement filed during respective year		84,000,000	56,000,000	53,000,000
Adjustments to estimated reimbursement filed during previous years		58,000,000	42,000,000	19,000,000
Estimated implicit price concessions recorded as reductions to revenues and accounts receivable		7,283,000,000	6,780,000,000
Charity care amount		14,425,000,000	13,615,000,000	13,644,000,000
Estimated costs of charity care		1,515,000,000	1,498,000,000	$ 1,542,000,000
Outstanding checks unpresented for payment		$ 600,000,000	$ 656,000,000
Days revenues in accounts receivable		53 days	53 days	49 days
Depreciation expense		$ 3,052,000,000.000	$ 2,941,000,000	$ 2,826,000,000
Goodwill impairments		0	0	0
Goodwill acquired during period		362,000,000	262,000,000
Intangible assets decreased due to amortization and other adjustments		20,000,000	44,000,000
Gross carrying amount of intangible assets		274,000,000	274,000,000
Accumulated amortization of intangible assets		228,000,000	208,000,000
Gross carrying amount of indefinite-lived intangible assets		293,000,000	293,000,000
Deferred loan costs		559,000,000	496,000,000
Deferred loan costs, accumulated amortization		226,000,000	195,000,000
Amortization of debt issuance costs		35,000,000	29,000,000	27,000,000
Reserves for professional liability risks		2,089,000,000.000	2,043,000,000.000
Current portion of professional liability risks reserves		532,000,000	515,000,000
Provisions for losses related to professional liability risks		619,000,000	517,000,000	453,000,000
Increase (decrease) in provisions for professional liability risks		$ 40,000,000	$ (55,000,000)	$ (87,000,000)
Reserves for professional liability risks cover individual claims | Claim		2,100	2,000
Net payments of professional and general liability claims		$ 550,000,000	$ 497,000,000
Self-insured retention amount per occurrence		15,000,000
Maximum amount losses per occurrence		80,000,000
Reinsurance for professional liability risks retention minimum level of amount per occurrence		25,000,000
Reinsurance for professional liability risks retention level of amount per occurrence		35,000,000
Amounts receivable under reinsurance contracts recorded in other assets		34,000,000	48,000,000
Amounts receivable under reinsurance contracts recorded in other current assets		8,000,000	12,000,000
Foreign Currency Translation And Other [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Goodwill increase (decrease)		$ 50,000,000	$ 105,000,000
Inpatient Services [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Performance obligations for inpatient/ outpatient services satisfied period		Our performance obligations for inpatient services are generally satisfied over periods that average approximately five days, and revenues are recognized based on charges incurred in relation to total expected charges
Maximum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of income of federal poverty level eligible for charity care	400.00%
Finite lived intangible asset useful life		10 years
Maximum [Member] | Outpatient Services [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Performance obligations for inpatient/ outpatient services satisfied period		Our performance obligations for outpatient services are generally satisfied over a period of less than one day
Maximum [Member] | Building and Improvements [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives in years		40 years
Maximum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives in years		10 years
Minimum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite lived intangible asset useful life		3 years
Minimum [Member] | Building and Improvements [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives in years		10 years
Minimum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives in years		4 years