Financial Information for the Company and Its Subsidiaries (Cash Flow Statements) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash flows provided by operating activities	$ 276,051	$ 248,933
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions and related transactions	(2,138,648)	(59,455)
Acquisition of property and equipment	(23,109)	(20,711)
Proceeds from sale of interests in surgery centers	4,969	151
Purchases of marketable securities	(3,486)	0
Other	2,082	107
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(2,158,192)	(79,908)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	2,046,399	129,435
Repayment on long-term borrowings	(403,043)	(151,676)
Distributions to owners, including noncontrolling interests	(139,443)	(137,081)
Capital contributions	0
Proceeds from preferred stock offering	172,500	0
Cash dividends for preferred shares	(2,239)	0
Proceeds from common stock offering	439,875	0
Payments of equity issuance costs	(24,366)	0
Financing cost incurred	(65,673)	(1,257)
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	0	0
Other financing activities, net	1,372	(10,598)
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities	2,025,382	(169,920)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	143,241	(895)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	50,840	46,398
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	194,081	45,503
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash flows provided by operating activities	(361,171)	(247,704)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions and related transactions	2,149,974	444
Acquisition of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sale of interests in surgery centers	0	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0
Other	0	0
Net cash flows used in investing activities	2,149,974	444
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	0	0
Repayment on long-term borrowings	0	0
Distributions to owners, including noncontrolling interests	361,171	247,704
Capital contributions	(2,147,585)
Proceeds from preferred stock offering	0
Cash dividends for preferred shares	0
Proceeds from common stock offering	0
Payments of equity issuance costs	0
Financing cost incurred	0
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	0	0
Other financing activities, net	(2,389)	(444)
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities	(1,788,803)	247,260
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0	0
Parent Company [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash flows provided by operating activities	103,091	29,083
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions and related transactions	(2,147,585)	0
Acquisition of property and equipment	(3,653)	(3,264)
Proceeds from sale of interests in surgery centers	0	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0
Other	(2,555)	107
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(2,153,793)	(3,157)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	2,040,000	122,200
Repayment on long-term borrowings	(394,318)	(141,403)
Distributions to owners, including noncontrolling interests	0	0
Capital contributions	0
Proceeds from preferred stock offering	172,500
Cash dividends for preferred shares	(2,239)
Proceeds from common stock offering	439,875
Payments of equity issuance costs	(24,366)
Financing cost incurred	(65,673)
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	731	1,899
Other financing activities, net	1,311	(11,620)
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities	2,167,821	(28,924)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	117,119	(2,998)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	6,710	7,259
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	123,829	4,261
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash flows provided by operating activities	225,098	153,382
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions and related transactions	(2,142,611)	(59,899)
Acquisition of property and equipment	(2,337)	0
Proceeds from sale of interests in surgery centers	4,969	151
Purchases of marketable securities	0
Other	(648)	0
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(2,140,627)	(59,748)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	0	0
Repayment on long-term borrowings	0	0
Distributions to owners, including noncontrolling interests	(206,580)	(94,322)
Capital contributions	2,147,585
Proceeds from preferred stock offering	0
Cash dividends for preferred shares	0
Proceeds from common stock offering	0
Payments of equity issuance costs	0
Financing cost incurred	0
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	0	0
Other financing activities, net	(206)	688
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities	1,940,799	(93,634)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	25,270	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	25,270	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash flows provided by operating activities	309,033	314,172
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions and related transactions	1,574	0
Acquisition of property and equipment	(17,119)	(17,447)
Proceeds from sale of interests in surgery centers	0	0
Purchases of marketable securities	(3,486)
Other	5,285	0
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(13,746)	(17,447)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	6,399	7,235
Repayment on long-term borrowings	(8,725)	(10,273)
Distributions to owners, including noncontrolling interests	(294,034)	(290,463)
Capital contributions	0
Proceeds from preferred stock offering	0
Cash dividends for preferred shares	0
Proceeds from common stock offering	0
Payments of equity issuance costs	0
Financing cost incurred	0
Changes in intercompany balances with affiliates, net	(731)	(1,899)
Other financing activities, net	2,656	778
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities	(294,435)	(294,622)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	852	2,103
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	44,130	39,139
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 44,982	$ 41,242