Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 1,086	$ 975
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(2,151)	(2,335)
Provision for doubtful accounts	1,579	1,777
Depreciation and amortization	901	849
Income taxes	(94)	183
Gains on sales of facilities	(32)	12
Losses on retirement of debt	226	17
Legal claim costs	78
Amortization of deferred loan costs	23	28
Share-based compensation	77	51
Equity in earnings of affiliates
Other		(3)
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,693	1,554
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment	(913)	(896)
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities	(27)	(23)
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities	32	31
Change in investments	43	102
Other	1	(4)
Net cash used in investing activities	(864)	(790)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt	3,502
Net change in revolving credit facilities	340	(20)
Repayment of long-term debt	(3,482)	(768)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(197)	(196)
Payment of debt issuance costs	(49)	(5)
Repurchase of common stock	(750)
Distributions to stockholders	(7)	(10)
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net
Income tax benefits	75	61
Other	(17)	(69)
Net cash used in financing activities	(585)	(1,007)
Change in cash and cash equivalents	244	(243)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	414	705
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	658	462
HCA Holdings, Inc. Issuer [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	888	798
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	13	41
Provision for doubtful accounts
Depreciation and amortization
Income taxes	(94)	183
Gains on sales of facilities
Losses on retirement of debt
Legal claim costs
Amortization of deferred loan costs	2	2
Share-based compensation	77	51
Equity in earnings of affiliates	(952)	(860)
Other
Net cash provided by operating activities	(66)	215
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities
Change in investments
Other
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt
Net change in revolving credit facilities
Repayment of long-term debt
Distributions to noncontrolling interests
Payment of debt issuance costs
Repurchase of common stock	(750)
Distributions to stockholders	(7)	(10)
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	756	(216)
Income tax benefits	75	61
Other	(8)	(72)
Net cash used in financing activities	66	(237)
Change in cash and cash equivalents		(22)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period		22
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
HCA Inc. Issuer [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	(873)	(694)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(32)	(18)
Provision for doubtful accounts
Depreciation and amortization
Income taxes
Gains on sales of facilities
Losses on retirement of debt	226	17
Legal claim costs	78
Amortization of deferred loan costs	21	26
Share-based compensation
Equity in earnings of affiliates
Other	1	4
Net cash provided by operating activities	(579)	(665)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities
Change in investments
Other
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt	3,502
Net change in revolving credit facilities	340	(20)
Repayment of long-term debt	(3,441)	(726)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests
Payment of debt issuance costs	(49)	(5)
Repurchase of common stock
Distributions to stockholders
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	227	1,416
Income tax benefits	0
Other
Net cash used in financing activities	579	665
Change in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	1,269	1,125
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(1,258)	(1,217)
Provision for doubtful accounts	931	1,051
Depreciation and amortization	442	420
Income taxes
Gains on sales of facilities	(32)	19
Losses on retirement of debt
Legal claim costs
Amortization of deferred loan costs
Share-based compensation
Equity in earnings of affiliates
Other
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,352	1,398
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment	(583)	(434)
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities	(2)
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities	25	17
Change in investments	26	5
Other		(1)
Net cash used in investing activities	(534)	(413)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt
Net change in revolving credit facilities
Repayment of long-term debt	(25)	(22)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(27)	(29)
Payment of debt issuance costs
Repurchase of common stock
Distributions to stockholders
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	(663)	(1,165)
Income tax benefits
Other
Net cash used in financing activities	(715)	(1,216)
Change in cash and cash equivalents	103	(231)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	112	383
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	215	152
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	754	606
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(874)	(1,141)
Provision for doubtful accounts	648	726
Depreciation and amortization	459	429
Income taxes
Gains on sales of facilities		(7)
Losses on retirement of debt
Legal claim costs
Amortization of deferred loan costs
Share-based compensation
Equity in earnings of affiliates
Other	(1)	(7)
Net cash provided by operating activities	986	606
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment	(330)	(462)
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities	(25)	(23)
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities	7	14
Change in investments	17	97
Other	1	(3)
Net cash used in investing activities	(330)	(377)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt
Net change in revolving credit facilities
Repayment of long-term debt	(16)	(20)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(170)	(167)
Payment of debt issuance costs
Repurchase of common stock
Distributions to stockholders
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	(320)	(35)
Income tax benefits
Other	(9)	3
Net cash used in financing activities	(515)	(219)
Change in cash and cash equivalents	141	10
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	302	300
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	443	310
Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	(952)	(860)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Provision for doubtful accounts
Depreciation and amortization
Income taxes
Gains on sales of facilities
Losses on retirement of debt
Legal claim costs
Amortization of deferred loan costs
Share-based compensation
Equity in earnings of affiliates	952	860
Other
Net cash provided by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment
Acquisition of hospitals and health care entities
Disposition of hospitals and health care entities
Change in investments
Other
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt
Net change in revolving credit facilities
Repayment of long-term debt
Distributions to noncontrolling interests
Payment of debt issuance costs
Repurchase of common stock
Distributions to stockholders
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net
Income tax benefits
Other
Net cash used in financing activities
Change in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period