Guarantor (Balance Sheets) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 45,503,000	$ 46,398,000	$ 35,682,000	$ 40,718,000
Accounts receivable, Net	104,285,000	96,752,000
Supplies inventory	18,941,000	18,406,000
Deferred income taxes	4,388,000	3,088,000
Prepaid and other current assets	29,284,000	27,537,000
Total current assets	202,401,000	192,181,000
Property and equipment, net	168,029,000	166,612,000
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	16,970,000	11,274,000
Total assets	2,147,581,000	2,044,586,000
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	21,369,000	17,407,000
Total current liabilities	89,517,000	84,413,000
Long-term debt	599,386,000	620,705,000
Deferred income taxes	165,826,000	137,648,000
Other long-term liabilities	26,223,000	25,972,000
Noncontrolling interests - redeemable	175,335,000	175,382,000
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	739,590,000	689,488,000
Noncontrolling interests - non-redeemable	351,704,000	310,978,000
Total equity	1,091,294,000	1,000,466,000
Total liabilities and equity	2,147,581,000	2,044,586,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, Net	0	0
Supplies inventory	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	(4,030,000)	(4,965,000)
Total current assets	(4,030,000)	(4,965,000)
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	(2,893,712,000)	(2,783,383,000)
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	1,738,033,000	1,652,002,000
Total assets	(1,159,709,000)	(1,136,346,000)
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	(4,029,000)	(3,905,000)
Other accrued liabilities	0	(1,060,000)
Total current liabilities	(4,029,000)	(4,965,000)
Long-term debt	(29,566,000)	(31,465,000)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Noncontrolling interests - redeemable	113,838,000	113,443,000
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	(1,552,929,000)	(1,490,008,000)
Noncontrolling interests - non-redeemable	312,977,000	276,649,000
Total equity	(1,239,952,000)	(1,213,359,000)
Total liabilities and equity	(1,159,709,000)	(1,136,346,000)
Parent Company [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	4,261,000	7,259,000	4,867,000	8,530,000
Accounts receivable, Net	0	0
Supplies inventory	13,000	0
Deferred income taxes	4,388,000	3,088,000
Prepaid and other current assets	21,324,000	19,342,000
Total current assets	29,986,000	29,689,000
Property and equipment, net	10,101,000	9,199,000
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	1,470,124,000	1,413,061,000
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	21,114,000	21,311,000
Total assets	1,531,325,000	1,473,260,000
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	10,715,000	5,357,000
Accounts payable	1,422,000	1,379,000
Other accrued liabilities	27,340,000	29,380,000
Total current liabilities	39,477,000	36,116,000
Long-term debt	577,607,000	599,423,000
Deferred income taxes	165,826,000	137,648,000
Other long-term liabilities	8,825,000	10,585,000
Noncontrolling interests - redeemable	0	0
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	739,590,000	689,488,000
Noncontrolling interests - non-redeemable	0	0
Total equity	739,590,000	689,488,000
Total liabilities and equity	1,531,325,000	1,473,260,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, Net	0	0
Supplies inventory	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	1,440,558,000	1,381,596,000
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	1,440,558,000	1,381,596,000
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Other accrued liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Noncontrolling interests - redeemable	0	0
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	1,440,558,000	1,381,596,000
Noncontrolling interests - non-redeemable	0	0
Total equity	1,440,558,000	1,381,596,000
Total liabilities and equity	1,440,558,000	1,381,596,000
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	41,242,000	39,139,000	30,815,000	32,188,000
Accounts receivable, Net	104,285,000	96,752,000
Supplies inventory	18,928,000	18,406,000
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	11,990,000	13,160,000
Total current assets	176,445,000	167,457,000
Property and equipment, net	157,928,000	157,413,000
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	1,034,000	1,206,000
Total assets	335,407,000	326,076,000
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	10,654,000	12,050,000
Accounts payable	25,076,000	26,035,000
Other accrued liabilities	18,339,000	15,177,000
Total current liabilities	54,069,000	53,262,000
Long-term debt	51,345,000	52,747,000
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	17,398,000	15,387,000
Noncontrolling interests - redeemable	61,497,000	61,939,000
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	112,371,000	108,412,000
Noncontrolling interests - non-redeemable	38,727,000	34,329,000
Total equity	151,098,000	142,741,000
Total liabilities and equity	335,407,000	326,076,000
Consolidated Entities [Member]
Assets
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	1,760,181,000	1,674,519,000
Liabilities and Equity
Accounts payable	22,469,000	23,509,000
Other accrued liabilities	$ 45,679,000	$ 43,497,000