COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands												1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended					12 Months Ended			27 Months Ended	36 Months Ended
	Nov. 21, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 27, 2016 patient	Jan. 18, 2016 USD ($) claim	Dec. 23, 2015 USD ($)	Nov. 03, 2015 patient	Jun. 10, 2015 USD ($)	May 21, 2015 patient	Mar. 02, 2015 computer	Apr. 23, 2014	Sep. 13, 2012 employee	Jun. 06, 2011 beneficiary	Aug. 31, 2017 USD ($) claim	Apr. 30, 2014 care_center	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2010 beneficiary	Jul. 25, 2015 employee	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Securities Class Action Lawsuit settlement, net																			$ 28,712	$ 0	$ 0
Corporate integrity agreement term (years)									5 years
Indemnity receivable																$ 4,900			17,000	4,900
Patient accounts receivable																166,056			201,196	166,056
Operating leases rent expense																			28,600	$ 27,500	23,700
Health insurance retention limit																			900
Workers' compensation insurance retention limit																			500
Professional liability insurance retention limit																			$ 300
Minimum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Operating lease term (years)																			1 year
Maximum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Operating lease term (years)																			7 years
South Carolina [Member] | Hospice [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of beneficiaries | beneficiary																						30
Indemnity receivable related to amounts withheld prior to August 2009																			$ 4,900
South Carolina [Member] | Hospice [Member] | Extrapolated [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of beneficiaries | beneficiary											16
South Carolina [Member] | Hospice [Member] | Unfavorable [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Recovery amount of the overpayment made to the subsidiary			$ 3,700
Recovery amount of overpayment made to subsidiary including interest			$ 5,600
Number of claims submitted by subsidiary | claim			9
Recovery amount of over payment made to subsidiary including interest withheld																			5,700
US Department of Justice [Member] | Massachusetts [Member] | Hospice [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of patients | patient							53
US Department of Justice [Member] | Morgantown, West Virginia [Member] | Hospice [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of patients | patient					66
US Department of Justice [Member] | Parkersburg, West Virginia [Member] | Hospice [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of patients | patient		68
Wage and Hour Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Settlement awarded to other party						$ 8,000
Loss contingency accrual																					5,300				$ 8,000
Wage and Hour Litigation [Member] | Connecticut [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of former employees who filled a putative collective and class action complaint | employee																							3
Payments for legal settlements																		$ 5,300
Wage and Hour Litigation [Member] | Illinois [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of former employees who filled a putative collective and class action complaint | employee										1
Settlement awarded to other party				$ 800
Loss contingency accrual																								$ 800
Payments for legal settlements	$ 600
Frontier Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Payments for legal settlements																$ 2,900
Frontier Litigation [Member] | Hospice [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of care centers sold | care_center													4
Frontier Litigation [Member] | Home Health [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of care centers sold | care_center													5
Securities Class Action Lawsuit [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual															$ 43,700
Payments for legal settlements														$ 28,700
Settlement amount to be paid by Company's insurance carriers															15,000
Securities Class Action Lawsuit settlement, net															$ 28,700
Computer Inventory And Data Security Reporting [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Threshold of individuals in data breach | computer								142
Computer Inventory And Data Security Reporting [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Year of departure								2011
Computer Inventory And Data Security Reporting [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Year of departure								2014
OIG Self-Disclosure [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual																					$ 4,700
Payments for legal settlements																	$ 4,700
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual																			17,400
Indemnity receivable																			10,900
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member] | Infinity HomeCare [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Indemnification amount												$ 12,600
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Florida Zpic revenue reduction														$ 6,500
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Recovery amount of the overpayment made to the subsidiary												6,500
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Recovery amount of the overpayment made to the subsidiary												38,800							30,300
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member] | Infinity HomeCare [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Patient accounts receivable																			6,800
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Lakeland, Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Recovery amount of the overpayment made to the subsidiary												$ 34,000							27,000
Number of claims submitted by subsidiary | claim												72
Actual claims payment												$ 200
Error rate (percent)												100.00%
Safeguard Zone Program Integrity Contractor [Member] | Clearwater, Florida [Member] | Home Health [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Recovery amount of the overpayment made to the subsidiary												$ 4,800							$ 3,300
Number of claims submitted by subsidiary | claim												70
Actual claims payment												$ 200
Error rate (percent)												100.00%