Financial Information for the Company and Its Subsidiaries (Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 187,422	$ 208,079	$ 194,081	$ 50,840
Restricted cash and marketable securities	11,789	10,219
Accounts receivable, net	276,237	233,053
Supplies inventory	20,887	19,974
Prepaid and other current assets	91,651	115,362
Total current assets	587,986	586,687
Property and equipment, net	190,399	180,448
Investments in and receivables from unconsolidated affiliates	112,877	75,475
Goodwill	3,589,317	3,381,149
Intangible assets, net	1,282,567	1,273,879
Other assets	24,074	25,886
Total assets	5,787,220	5,523,524
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	19,982	18,826
Accounts payable	30,750	29,585
Accrued salaries and benefits	186,923	140,044
Accrued interest	17,846	29,644
Other accrued liabilities	130,563	67,986
Total current liabilities	386,064	286,085
Long-term debt	2,230,296	2,232,186
Deferred income taxes	645,711	633,480
Other long-term liabilities	90,671	89,443
Intercompany payable	0	0
Noncontrolling interests – redeemable	185,261	184,099
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	1,781,743	1,679,547
Noncontrolling interests – non-redeemable	467,474	418,684
Total equity	2,249,217	2,098,231
Total liabilities and equity	5,787,220	5,523,524
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Restricted cash and marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Supplies inventory	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	(12,136)	(4,818)
Total current assets	(12,136)	(4,818)
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investments in and receivables from unconsolidated affiliates	(5,732,296)	(5,425,210)
Goodwill	2,029,854	1,890,168
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Other assets	(1,998)	(1,466)
Total assets	(3,716,576)	(3,541,326)
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	(3,699)	(4,080)
Accrued salaries and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Other accrued liabilities	(8,437)	(738)
Total current liabilities	(12,136)	(4,818)
Long-term debt	(27,888)	(28,412)
Deferred income taxes	(1,998)	(1,466)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Intercompany payable	(1,228,157)	(1,227,989)
Noncontrolling interests – redeemable	120,666	120,555
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	(2,987,651)	(2,774,257)
Noncontrolling interests – non-redeemable	420,588	375,061
Total equity	(2,567,063)	(2,399,196)
Total liabilities and equity	(3,716,576)	(3,541,326)
Parent Company [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	68,730	134,351	123,829	6,710
Restricted cash and marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Supplies inventory	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	33,969	47,997
Total current assets	102,699	182,348
Property and equipment, net	12,819	10,391
Investments in and receivables from unconsolidated affiliates	4,115,444	3,912,804
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	62,201	67,678
Other assets	3,408	3,323
Total assets	4,296,571	4,176,544
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	8,700	8,700
Accounts payable	1,696	1,849
Accrued salaries and benefits	28,070	25,035
Accrued interest	17,835	29,621
Other accrued liabilities	14,856	8,051
Total current liabilities	71,157	73,256
Long-term debt	2,200,425	2,206,950
Deferred income taxes	238,773	209,400
Other long-term liabilities	4,473	7,391
Intercompany payable	0	0
Noncontrolling interests – redeemable	0	0
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	1,781,743	1,679,547
Noncontrolling interests – non-redeemable	0	0
Total equity	1,781,743	1,679,547
Total liabilities and equity	4,296,571	4,176,544
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	56,647	23,471	25,270	0
Restricted cash and marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	160,685	123,772
Supplies inventory	255	301
Prepaid and other current assets	50,302	58,388
Total current assets	267,889	205,932
Property and equipment, net	9,468	9,972
Investments in and receivables from unconsolidated affiliates	1,729,729	1,587,881
Goodwill	1,559,463	1,490,981
Intangible assets, net	1,217,937	1,203,218
Other assets	1,040	943
Total assets	4,785,526	4,498,927
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	4,686	35
Accrued salaries and benefits	141,388	101,395
Accrued interest	0	0
Other accrued liabilities	81,017	44,305
Total current liabilities	227,091	145,735
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	408,936	425,546
Other long-term liabilities	66,862	63,616
Intercompany payable	1,228,157	1,219,979
Noncontrolling interests – redeemable	0	0
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	2,854,480	2,644,051
Noncontrolling interests – non-redeemable	0	0
Total equity	2,854,480	2,644,051
Total liabilities and equity	4,785,526	4,498,927
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	62,045	50,257	$ 44,982	$ 44,130
Restricted cash and marketable securities	11,789	10,219
Accounts receivable, net	115,552	109,281
Supplies inventory	20,632	19,673
Prepaid and other current assets	19,516	13,795
Total current assets	229,534	203,225
Property and equipment, net	168,112	160,085
Investments in and receivables from unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	2,429	2,983
Other assets	21,624	23,086
Total assets	421,699	389,379
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	11,282	10,126
Accounts payable	28,067	31,781
Accrued salaries and benefits	17,465	13,614
Accrued interest	11	23
Other accrued liabilities	43,127	16,368
Total current liabilities	99,952	71,912
Long-term debt	57,759	53,648
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	19,336	18,436
Intercompany payable	0	8,010
Noncontrolling interests – redeemable	64,595	63,544
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	133,171	130,206
Noncontrolling interests – non-redeemable	46,886	43,623
Total equity	180,057	173,829
Total liabilities and equity	$ 421,699	$ 389,379