Financial Information for the Company and Its Subsidiaries (Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 85,883	$ 106,660	$ 116,156	$ 208,079
Restricted cash and marketable securities	14,435	13,506
Accounts receivable, net	352,891	337,330
Supplies inventory	21,584	21,406
Prepaid and other current assets	76,513	75,771
Total current assets	551,306	554,673
Property and equipment, net	191,920	189,168
Investments in and receivables from unconsolidated affiliates	172,826	169,170
Goodwill	3,967,902	3,970,210
Intangible assets, net	1,580,337	1,594,637
Other assets	19,655	21,450
Total assets	6,483,946	6,499,308
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	20,231	20,377
Accounts payable	26,412	32,561
Accrued salaries and benefits	204,191	202,537
Accrued interest	18,005	30,480
Other accrued liabilities	101,861	119,237
Total current liabilities	370,700	405,192
Long-term debt	2,336,284	2,357,956
Deferred income taxes	706,452	699,498
Other long-term liabilities	99,007	96,183
Intercompany payable	0	0
Noncontrolling interests – redeemable	174,671	175,732
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	2,326,521	2,293,463
Noncontrolling interests – non-redeemable	470,311	471,284
Total equity	2,796,832	2,764,747
Total liabilities and equity	6,483,946	6,499,308
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	(23,349)	(8,076)
Total current assets	(23,349)	(8,076)
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investments in and receivables from unconsolidated affiliates	(6,503,372)	(6,507,128)
Goodwill	2,013,435	2,013,469
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Other assets	(1,998)	(1,998)
Total assets	(4,515,284)	(4,503,733)
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	(4,087)	(3,852)
Accrued salaries and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Other accrued liabilities	(19,262)	(4,224)
Total current liabilities	(23,349)	(8,076)
Long-term debt	(24,375)	(23,396)
Deferred income taxes	(1,998)	(1,998)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Intercompany payable	(1,228,157)	(1,228,157)
Noncontrolling interests – redeemable	113,094	112,672
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	(3,774,653)	(3,778,478)
Noncontrolling interests – non-redeemable	424,154	423,700
Total equity	(3,350,499)	(3,354,778)
Total liabilities and equity	(4,515,284)	(4,503,733)
Parent Company [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	9,391	20,437	30,118	134,351
Restricted cash and marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Supplies inventory	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	39,908	28,739
Total current assets	49,299	49,176
Property and equipment, net	12,421	12,515
Investments in and receivables from unconsolidated affiliates	4,901,556	4,901,026
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	13,142	12,780
Other assets	4,532	4,653
Total assets	4,980,950	4,980,150
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	8,700	8,700
Accounts payable	2,196	2,816
Accrued salaries and benefits	25,225	31,510
Accrued interest	17,995	30,463
Other accrued liabilities	8,125	13,962
Total current liabilities	62,241	87,451
Long-term debt	2,306,032	2,326,103
Deferred income taxes	281,498	268,573
Other long-term liabilities	4,658	4,560
Intercompany payable	0	0
Noncontrolling interests – redeemable	0	0
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	2,326,521	2,293,463
Noncontrolling interests – non-redeemable	0	0
Total equity	2,326,521	2,293,463
Total liabilities and equity	4,980,950	4,980,150
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	20,632	27,507	38,681	23,471
Restricted cash and marketable securities	995	0
Accounts receivable, net	240,265	223,434
Supplies inventory	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	31,317	39,046
Total current assets	293,209	289,987
Property and equipment, net	17,824	14,601
Investments in and receivables from unconsolidated affiliates	1,774,642	1,775,272
Goodwill	1,954,467	1,956,741
Intangible assets, net	1,565,068	1,579,537
Other assets	1,583	1,717
Total assets	5,606,793	5,617,855
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	19	0
Accounts payable	2,080	3,760
Accrued salaries and benefits	162,396	158,705
Accrued interest	0	0
Other accrued liabilities	67,058	76,590
Total current liabilities	231,553	239,055
Long-term debt	40	0
Deferred income taxes	426,952	432,923
Other long-term liabilities	73,729	71,509
Intercompany payable	1,228,157	1,228,157
Noncontrolling interests – redeemable	0	0
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	3,646,362	3,646,211
Noncontrolling interests – non-redeemable	0	0
Total equity	3,646,362	3,646,211
Total liabilities and equity	5,606,793	5,617,855
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	55,860	58,716	$ 47,357	$ 50,257
Restricted cash and marketable securities	13,440	13,506
Accounts receivable, net	112,626	113,896
Supplies inventory	21,584	21,406
Prepaid and other current assets	28,637	16,062
Total current assets	232,147	223,586
Property and equipment, net	161,675	162,052
Investments in and receivables from unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	2,127	2,320
Other assets	15,538	17,078
Total assets	411,487	405,036
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	11,512	11,677
Accounts payable	26,223	29,837
Accrued salaries and benefits	16,570	12,322
Accrued interest	10	17
Other accrued liabilities	45,940	32,909
Total current liabilities	100,255	86,762
Long-term debt	54,587	55,249
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	20,620	20,114
Intercompany payable	0	0
Noncontrolling interests – redeemable	61,577	63,060
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	128,291	132,267
Noncontrolling interests – non-redeemable	46,157	47,584
Total equity	174,448	179,851
Total liabilities and equity	$ 411,487	$ 405,036