NATURE OF OPERATIONS, CONSOLIDATION AND PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
NATURE OF OPERATIONS, CONSOLIDATION AND PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	NATURE OF OPERATIONS, CONSOLIDATION AND PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Amedisys, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries (“Amedisys,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) are a multi-state provider of home health, hospice and personal care services with approximately 75%, 78% and 80% of our revenue derived from Medicare for 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, we owned and operated 323 Medicare-certified home health care centers, 83 Medicare-certified hospice care centers and 15 personal-care care centers in 34 states within the United States and the District of Columbia. Use of Estimates Our accounting and reporting policies conform with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”). In preparing the consolidated financial statements, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that impact the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Reclassifications and Comparability Certain reclassifications have been made to prior periods’ financial statements in order to conform to the current period’s presentation. Principles of Consolidation These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Amedisys, Inc., and our wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in our accompanying consolidated financial statements, and business combinations accounted for as purchases have been included in our consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition. In addition to our wholly owned subsidiaries, we also have certain equity investments that are accounted for as set forth below. Equity Investments We consolidate investments when the entity is a variable interest entity and we are the primary beneficiary or if we have controlling interests in the entity, which is generally ownership in excess of 50%. Third party equity interests in our consolidated joint ventures are reflected as noncontrolling interests in our consolidated financial statements. During the three-month period ended September 30, 2016, we sold a 30% interest in one of our care centers while maintaining controlling interest in the newly formed joint venture. We account for investments in entities in which we have the ability to exercise significant influence under the equity method if we hold 50% or less of the voting stock and the entity is not a variable interest entity in which we are the primary beneficiary. The book value of investments that we accounted for under the equity method of accounting was $26.4 million as of December 31, 2017 and $27.8 million as of December 31, 2016. We account for investments in entities in which we have less than a 20% ownership interest under the cost method of accounting if we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee.

NATURE OF OPERATIONS, CONSOLIDATION AND PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Amedisys, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries (“Amedisys,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) are a multi-state provider of home health, hospice and personal care services with approximately 75%, 78% and 80% of our revenue derived from Medicare for 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, we owned and operated 323 Medicare-certified home health care centers, 83 Medicare-certified hospice care centers and 15 personal-care care centers in 34 states within the United States and the District of Columbia.

Use of Estimates

Our accounting and reporting policies conform with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”). In preparing the consolidated financial statements, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that impact the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

Reclassifications and Comparability

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior periods’ financial statements in order to conform to the current period’s presentation.

Principles of Consolidation

These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Amedisys, Inc., and our wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in our accompanying consolidated financial statements, and business combinations accounted for as purchases have been included in our consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition. In addition to our wholly owned subsidiaries, we also have certain equity investments that are accounted for as set forth below.

Equity Investments

We consolidate investments when the entity is a variable interest entity and we are the primary beneficiary or if we have controlling interests in the entity, which is generally ownership in excess of 50%. Third party equity interests in our consolidated joint ventures are reflected as noncontrolling interests in our consolidated financial statements. During the three-month period ended September 30, 2016, we sold a 30% interest in one of our care centers while maintaining controlling interest in the newly formed joint venture.

We account for investments in entities in which we have the ability to exercise significant influence under the equity method if we hold 50% or less of the voting stock and the entity is not a variable interest entity in which we are the primary beneficiary. The book value of investments that we accounted for under the equity method of accounting was $26.4 million as of December 31, 2017 and $27.8 million as of December 31, 2016. We account for investments in entities in which we have less than a 20% ownership interest under the cost method of accounting if we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee.