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Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) shares in Millions |  | 1 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Oct. 01, 2018 USD ($) | May 31, 2016 USD ($) Hospital | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) Facility | Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) Hospital Facility shares | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) Hospital shares | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) Hospital shares | Oct. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Establishment of partial reserve in the allowance for doubtful accounts for self-pay balances outstanding from the date of discharge, in days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 90 days |  |  |  |
Establishment of fully reserve for self-pay balances outstanding from the date of discharge, in days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 90 days |  |  |  |
Establishment of fully reserve in the allowance for doubtful accounts for third party liability accounts from the date of discharge, in days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 180 days |  |  |  |
Patients treated at hospitals for non elective services gross income less than federal poverty guidelines |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 400.00% |  |  |  |
Accounts receivable, net |  |  |  | $ 1,509,909,000 |  |  |  | $ 1,500,898,000 |  |  |  |  | $ 1,509,909,000 | $ 1,500,898,000 |  |  |
Number of hospital facilities | Hospital |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3 |  |  |  |
Capitalized interest |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,300,000 | 1,000,000 | $ 1,900,000 |  |
Depreciation expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 410,000,000 | 388,400,000 | 350,800,000 |  |
Impairment of goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible assets |  | $ 0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 |  |
Impairment of other intangible assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 49,000,000 | 0 | $ 0 |  |
Intangible assets net |  |  |  | 173,000,000 |  |  |  | 220,000,000 |  |  |  |  | $ 173,000,000 | 220,000,000 |  |  |
Number of inpatient facilities | Facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  |
Number of outpatient facilities | Facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12 |  |  |  |
Amount of estimated future payments related to physician-related contractual commitments |  |  |  | $ 2,000,000 |  |  |  | 2,000,000 |  |  |  |  | $ 2,000,000 | $ 2,000,000 |  |  |
Amount of potential future financial obligations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,000,000 |  |  |  |
Behavioral health care facilities with outside owners holding non-controlling minority interest | Facility |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |
Redeemable non-controlling interest balances |  |  |  | $ 4,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,000,000 |  |  |  |
Non-controlling interest balances |  |  |  | 77,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 77,000,000 |  |  |  |
Anti-dilutive weighted average stock options excluded from computation of earnings per share | shares |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7.9 | 6.2 | 2.2 |  |
Revenues |  |  |  | 2,754,496,000 | $ 2,648,913,000 | $ 2,681,353,000 | $ 2,687,516,000 | 2,642,787,000 | $ 2,541,864,000 | $ 2,612,356,000 | $ 2,612,858,000 |  | $ 10,772,278,000 | $ 10,409,865,000 | $ 9,766,210,000 |  |
Tradename |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Intangible assets net |  |  |  | 75,000,000 |  |  |  | 124,000,000 |  |  |  |  | 75,000,000 | $ 124,000,000 |  |  | $ 124,000,000
Commercial Insurance Subsidiary |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Statutorily required capital reserves |  |  |  | 112,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 112,000,000 |  |  |  |
Universal Health Realty Income Trust |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of hospital facilities | Hospital |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3 | 3 | 3 |  |
Investments |  |  |  | 8,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 8,000,000 |  |  |  |
Premier, Inc. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Investments |  |  |  | 56,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 56,000,000 |  |  |  |
Premier, Inc. | Group Purchasing Organization Agreement | Restricted Stock |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Shares vesting period |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7 years |  |  |  |  |
Shares vesting period start year |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2014 |  |  |  |  |
Shares vesting period end year |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2020 |  |  |  |  |
Market value of retained vested shares |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 56,000,000 | $ 33,000,000 |  |  |
Unrealized gain |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 23,000,000 |  |  |  |
Additional vested shares, value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 17,000,000 |  |  |  |
Building and Building Improvements | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property and equipment, useful lives, maximum years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20 years |  |  |  |
Building and Building Improvements | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property and equipment, useful lives, maximum years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 40 years |  |  |  |
Equipment | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property and equipment, useful lives, maximum years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3 years |  |  |  |
Equipment | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property and equipment, useful lives, maximum years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15 years |  |  |  |
Acute Care Hospital Services |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 5,719,905,000 | 5,484,683,000 | $ 5,112,950,000 |  |
Behavioral Health Services |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues | [1] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5,038,874,000 | 4,906,719,000 | 4,645,007,000 |  |
State Medicaid programs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue offset amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 179,000,000 | 171,000,000 | 166,000,000 |  |
Net aggregate benefit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 208,000,000 | 186,000,000 | 161,000,000 |  |
Net revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 64,000,000 | 55,000,000 | $ 53,000,000 |  |
Illinois |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts receivable, net |  |  |  | 32,000,000 |  |  |  | 25,000,000 |  |  |  |  | 32,000,000 | 25,000,000 |  |  |
Accounts receivable net greater than sixty days Past due |  |  |  | $ 18,000,000 |  |  |  | $ 8,000,000 |  |  |  |  | $ 18,000,000 | $ 8,000,000 |  |  |
Las Vegas, Nevada | Acute Care Hospital Services |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of hospital facilities | Hospital |  |  | 6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6 |  |  |  |
Acquisition, cash paid |  |  | $ 445,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchase price of minority ownership interests |  |  | 418,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Return of reserve capital to purchase of minority ownership interests |  |  | $ 27,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Las Vegas, Nevada | Acute Care Hospital Services | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interests purchased |  |  | 26.10% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Las Vegas, Nevada | Acute Care Hospital Services | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interests purchased |  |  | 27.50% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Las Vegas, Nevada | Net Revenue | Geographic Concentration Risk |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15.00% | 15.00% | 14.00% |  |
Washington, District of Columbia | Acute Care Facilities | Third-Party Ownership Interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of non-controlling, minority ownership interests held by outside owners |  |  |  | 20.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20.00% |  |  |  |
Texas | Acute Care Facilities | Third-Party Ownership Interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of non-controlling, minority ownership interests held by outside owners |  |  |  | 11.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11.00% |  |  |  |
Pennsylvania | Behavioral Health Services | Third-Party Ownership Interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of non-controlling, minority ownership interests held by outside owners |  |  |  | 20.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20.00% |  |  |  |
Ohio | Behavioral Health Services | Third-Party Ownership Interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of non-controlling, minority ownership interests held by outside owners |  |  |  | 30.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 30.00% |  |  |  |
Nevada | Acute Care Facilities | Third-Party Ownership Interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of non-controlling, minority ownership interests held by outside owners |  |  |  | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5.00% |  |  |  |
Washington | Behavioral Health Services | Third-Party Ownership Interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of non-controlling, minority ownership interests held by outside owners |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20.00% |
Medicare |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,875,875,000 | $ 1,816,840,000 | $ 1,729,093,000 |  |
Medicare | Acute Care Hospital Services |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,296,152,000 | 1,223,150,000 | 1,114,911,000 |  |
Medicare | Behavioral Health Services |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 579,723,000 | 593,690,000 | 614,182,000 |  |
Health Care | State Medicaid programs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 387,000,000 | 357,000,000 | $ 327,000,000 |  |
ASU 2014-09 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Effect of change on after-tax net income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,000,000 |  |  |  |
ASU 2014-09 | Medicare |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of estimated net revenue adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1.00% |  |  |  |
ASU 2016-01 | Premier, Inc. | Other (Income) Expense, Net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unrealized gain |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 6,000,000 | $ 6,000,000 |  |  |
[1] | Includes net revenues generated from our behavioral health care facilities located in the U.K. amounting to approximately $505 million in 2018, $429 million in 2017 and $241 million in 2016. Total assets at our U.K. behavioral health care facilities were approximately $1.224 billion as of December 31, 2018, $1.098 billion as of December 31, 2017 and $965 million as of December 31, 2016. In addition, included in our 2018 Behavioral Health Services operating segment Income (loss) before allocation of corporate overhead and income taxes is a pre-tax $49 million provision for asset impairment to reduce the carrying value of a tradename intangible asset.

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