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DEBT - COVERTIBLE SUBORDINATED NOTES (Details) (USD $)
Share data in Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Payments On Zero Coupon Subordinated Notes $ 18,900,000lh_PaymentsOnZeroCouponSubordinatedNotes $ 21,500,000lh_PaymentsOnZeroCouponSubordinatedNotes $ 8,200,000lh_PaymentsOnZeroCouponSubordinatedNotes
Common stock issued upon conversion of zero-coupon subordinated notes (in shares) 0.1us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesConversionOfConvertibleSecurities 0.1us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesConversionOfConvertibleSecurities 0us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesConversionOfConvertibleSecurities
Zero-coupon convertible subordinated notes [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Principal amount at maturity of zero-coupon subordinated notes outstanding 106,900,000lh_PrincipalAmountAtMaturityOfZeroCouponSubordinatedNotesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
  128,800,000lh_PrincipalAmountAtMaturityOfZeroCouponSubordinatedNotesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
Issued price per principal amount at maturity 671.65lh_IssuedPriceFromIssuanceOfZeroCouponSubordinatedNotes
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Principal amount of zero-coupon subordinated notes 1,000.0lh_PrincipalAmountOfZeroCouponSubordinatedNotes
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Annual yield to maturity 2.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Stock conversion rate for zero-coupon subordinated notes (per thousand) 13.4108lh_StockConversionRateForZeroCouponSubordinatedNotes
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Minimum number of trading days in a period the common stock sale price must meet a specified threshold to trigger conversion price (in days) 20lh_MinimumNumberOfTradingDaysToTriggerConversionPrice
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Number of consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day of the preceding quarter for the common stock sale price to reach a specified threshold to trigger conversion price (in days) 30lh_NumberOfConsecutiveTradingDaysInQuarterToTriggerConversionPrice
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Common stock sales price threshold, beginning 120.00%lh_CommonStockSalesPriceThresholdBeginning
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Common stock sales price threshold, declining per quarter 0.1282%lh_CommonStockDecliningSalePriceThreshold
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Common stock sales price threshold, ending 110.00%lh_CommonStockSalesPriceThresholdEnding
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Conversion trigger price, current period (per share) $ 73.97lh_ZeroCouponConvertibleSubordinatedNotesConversionTriggerPrice
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Principal Amount At Maturity Of Zero Coupon Subordinated Notes Converted 21,900,000lh_PrincipalAmountAtMaturityOfZeroCouponSubordinatedNotesConverted
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
25,500,000lh_PrincipalAmountAtMaturityOfZeroCouponSubordinatedNotesConverted
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
 
Value Of Cash And Common Stock In Connection With Conversions Of Zero Coupon Subordinated Notes Settled In Current Period 28,700,000lh_ValueOfCashAndCommonStockInConnectionWithConversionsOfZeroCouponSubordinatedNotesSettledInCurrentPeriod
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
31,800,000lh_ValueOfCashAndCommonStockInConnectionWithConversionsOfZeroCouponSubordinatedNotesSettledInCurrentPeriod
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
 
Payments On Zero Coupon Subordinated Notes 18,900,000lh_PaymentsOnZeroCouponSubordinatedNotes
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
21,500,000lh_PaymentsOnZeroCouponSubordinatedNotes
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
 
Common stock issued upon conversion of zero-coupon subordinated notes (in shares) 0.1us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesConversionOfConvertibleSecurities
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
0.1us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesConversionOfConvertibleSecurities
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
 
Tax Benefit Realized Upon Conversion Of Zero Coupon Convertible Debt $ 3,800,000lh_TaxBenefitRealizedUponConversionOfZeroCouponConvertibleDebt
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
$ 3,400,000lh_TaxBenefitRealizedUponConversionOfZeroCouponConvertibleDebt
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
 
Contingent cash interest accrual rate period September 12, 2014 to March 11, 2015    
Contingent cash interest accrual rate description no less than 0.125% of the average market price of a zero-coupon subordinated note for the five trading days ended September 9, 2014, in addition to the continued accrual of the original issue discount    
Contingent cash interest accrual rate 0.125%lh_ContingentCashInterestAccrualRate
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Number of days used to establish average market price of zero coupon subordinated notes 5    
Debt Conversion Announcement Date Jan. 02, 2015    
Debt Conversion Date Of Subordinated Notes And Indenture Oct. 24, 2006    
Zero Coupon Subordinated Notes Convertible Earliest Date Jan. 01, 2015    
Zero Coupon Subordinated Notes Convertible Latest Date Mar. 31, 2015