LHC (LHCG) 10-Q 7 Nov 13 2013 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Nov. 01, 2013
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-13	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2013	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q3	'
Trading Symbol	'LHCG	'
Entity Registrant Name	'LHC Group, Inc	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001303313	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	17,602,664

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash	$443	$9,720
Receivables:	'	'
Patient accounts receivable, less allowance for uncollectible accounts of $13,995 and $11,863, respectively	92,423	83,951
Other receivables	746	589
Amounts due from governmental entities	1,223	1,596
Total receivables, net	94,392	86,136
Deferred income taxes	11,098	7,671
Prepaid income taxes	3,125	7,436
Prepaid expenses	6,175	6,818
Other current assets	4,774	2,949
Total current assets	120,007	120,730
Property, building and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $39,320 and $34,331, respectively	30,561	29,531
Goodwill	194,893	169,150
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $3,357 and $2,985, respectively	63,199	62,042
Other assets	5,373	5,441
Total assets	414,033	386,894
Current liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities	19,254	14,897
Salaries, wages, and benefits payable	25,134	29,890
Self insurance reserve	6,868	5,444
Amounts due to governmental entities	3,975	4,979
Total current liabilities	55,231	55,210
Deferred income taxes	29,036	25,129
Income tax payable	3,415	3,415
Revolving credit facility	24,000	19,500
Note payable	1,138	'
Total liabilities	112,820	103,254
Noncontrolling interest - redeemable	11,467	11,426
LHC Group, Inc. stockholders' equity:	'	'
Common stock - $0.01 par value; 40,000,000 shares authorized; 21,783,323 and 21,578,772 shares issued in 2013 and 2012, respectively	218	216
Treasury stock - 4,690,392 and 4,653,039 shares at cost, respectively	-34,640	-33,846
Additional paid-in capital	102,761	100,619
Retained earnings	218,565	201,192
Total LHC Group, Inc. stockholders' equity	286,904	268,181
Noncontrolling interest - non-redeemable	2,842	4,033
Total equity	289,746	272,214
Total liabilities and equity	$414,033	$386,894

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE1

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement Of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Patient accounts receivable, allowance for uncollectible accounts	$13,995	$11,863
Property, building and equipment, accumulated depreciation	39,320	34,331
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	$3,357	$2,985
Common stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	40,000,000	40,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	21,783,323	21,578,772
Treasury stock at cost, shares	4,690,392	4,653,039

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Statement [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Net service revenue	$164,748	$158,926	$493,003	$475,742
Cost of service revenue	97,966	91,234	288,223	273,311
Gross margin	66,782	67,692	204,780	202,431
Provision for bad debts	2,708	2,987	9,833	8,395
General and administrative expenses	53,047	52,464	158,827	154,313
Other intangibles impairment charge	'	650	'	650
Operating income	11,027	11,591	36,120	39,073
Interest expense	-430	-405	-1,555	-972
Non-operating income	54	94	184	108
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	10,651	11,280	34,749	38,209
Income tax expense	3,782	3,388	12,236	12,706
Net income	6,869	7,892	22,513	25,503
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,572	1,556	5,140	5,463
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholders	$5,297	$6,336	$17,373	$20,040
Earnings per share - basic:	'	'	'	'
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholders	$0.31	$0.36	$1.02	$1.11
Earnings per share - diluted:	'	'	'	'
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholders	$0.31	$0.36	$1.02	$1.10
Weighted average shares outstanding:	'	'	'	'
Basic	17,083,201	17,656,842	17,035,541	18,121,217
Diluted	17,182,013	17,726,819	17,109,675	18,160,489

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME1

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (USD $)	Total		Common Stock [Member]	Treasury [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Non-controlling Interest Non Redeemable [Member]
In Thousands, except Share data
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	$272,214		$216	($33,846)	$100,619	$201,192	$4,033
Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2012	'		21,578,772	-4,653,039	'	'	'
Net income	18,272	[1]	'	'	'	17,373	899
Transfer of noncontrolling interest	-1,342		'	'	'	'	-1,342
Purchase of additional controlling interest	-1,267		'	'	-1,267	'	'
Noncontrolling interest distributions	-748		'	'	'	'	-748
Nonvested stock compensation	2,879		'	'	2,879	'	'
Issuance of vested stock, Shares	'		175,721	'	'	'	'
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax	-794		'	-794	'	'	'
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax, shares	37,353		'	-37,353	'	'	'
Excess tax benefits - vesting nonvested stock	-38		'	'	-38	'	'
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan	570		2	'	568	'	'
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan, shares	'		28,830	'	'	'	'
Balances at Sep. 30, 2013	$289,746		$218	($34,640)	$102,761	$218,565	$2,842
Balance, shares at Sep. 30, 2013	'		21,783,323	-4,690,392	'	'	'
[1]	Net income excludes net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable of $4.2 million during the nine months ending September 30, 2013. Noncontrolling interest-redeemable is reflected outside of permanent equity on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. See Note 9 of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (Parenthetical) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013
Statement Of Stockholders Equity [Abstract]	'
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable	$4,200

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Operating activities	'	'
Net income	$22,513	$25,503
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation and amortization expense	5,958	5,801
Provision for bad debts	9,833	8,395
Stock-based compensation expense	2,879	3,398
Deferred income taxes	480	1,552
Loss on sale of assets	17	100
Other intangibles impairment charge	'	650
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:	'	'
Receivables	-18,462	-7,084
Prepaid expenses and other assets	-1,114	2,247
Prepaid income taxes	4,262	13,960
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	645	-6,597
Net amounts due to/from governmental entities	-631	135
Net cash provided by operating activities	26,380	48,060
Investing activities	'	'
Purchases of property, building and equipment	-5,997	-6,508
Proceeds from sale of assets	'	25
Cash paid for acquisitions, primarily goodwill and intangible assets	-26,920	-6,764
Net cash (used in) investing activities	-32,917	-13,247
Financing activities	'	'
Proceeds from line of credit	64,500	173,562
Payments on line of credit	-60,000	-183,297
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	570	587
Proceeds from debt issuance	1,138	'
Noncontrolling interest distributions	-6,286	-6,582
Excess tax benefits from vesting of restricted stock	11	'
Redemption of treasury shares	-794	'
Purchase of additional controlling interest	-1,879	-126
Payments on repurchase of common stock	'	-19,017
Sale of noncontrolling interest	'	80
Net cash (used in) financing activities	-2,740	-34,793
Change in cash	-9,277	20
Cash at beginning of period	9,720	256
Cash at end of period	443	276
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information	'	'
Interest paid	1,523	972
Income taxes paid	$18,123	$8,644

Organization

Organization	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Organization	'
	1. Organization
	LHC Group, Inc. (the “Company”) is a health care provider specializing in the post-acute continuum of care primarily for Medicare beneficiaries. The Company provides home-based services, primarily through home nursing agencies and hospices, and facility-based services, primarily through long-term acute care hospitals (“LTACHs”). As of September 30, 2013, the Company, through its wholly- and majority-owned subsidiaries, equity joint ventures and controlled affiliates, operated 310 service providers in 26 states within the domestic United States.
	Unaudited Interim Financial Information
	The condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, and the related condensed consolidated statements of income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, condensed consolidated statement of changes in equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 and related notes (collectively, these financial statements and the related notes are referred to herein as the “interim financial information”) have been prepared by the Company. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) have been included. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2013.
	Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted from the interim financial information presented. This report should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 18, 2013, which includes information and disclosures not included herein.

Significant_Accounting_Policie

Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Significant Accounting Policies	'
	2. Significant Accounting Policies
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
	Critical Accounting Policies
	The Company’s most critical accounting policies relate to the principles of consolidation, revenue recognition and accounts receivable and allowances for uncollectible accounts.
	Principles of Consolidation
	The condensed consolidated financial statements include all subsidiaries and entities controlled by the Company. Control is defined by the Company as ownership of a majority of the voting interest of an entity. The condensed consolidated financial statements include entities in which the Company receives a majority of the entities’ expected residual returns, absorbs a majority of the entities’ expected losses, or both, as a result of ownership, contractual or other financial interests in the entity. Third party equity interests in the consolidated joint ventures are reflected as noncontrolling interests in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.
	The following table summarizes the percentage of net service revenue earned by type of ownership or relationship the Company had with the operating entity:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Equity joint ventures		48.1	%		49.1	%		48.9	%		48.7	%
	Wholly-owned subsidiaries		49.3	%		48.1	%		48.4	%		48.5	%
	License leasing arrangements		1.8	%		1.9	%		1.9	%		1.9	%
	Management services		0.8	%		0.9	%		0.8	%		0.9	%
			100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%
	All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the Company’s accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. Business combinations accounted for under the acquisition method have been included in the condensed consolidated financial statements from the respective dates of acquisition.
	The following describes the Company’s consolidation policy with respect to its various ventures excluding wholly-owned subsidiaries:
	Equity Joint Ventures
	The members of the Company’s equity joint ventures participate in profits and losses in proportion to their equity interests. The Company consolidates these entities as the Company has voting control over the entities. The Company typically owns a majority equity interest ranging from 51% to 91% in these joint ventures.
	License Leasing Arrangements
	The Company, through wholly-owned subsidiaries, leases home health licenses necessary to operate certain of its home nursing agencies. As with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, the Company owns 100% of the equity of these entities and consolidates them based on such ownership.
	Management Services
	The Company has various management services agreements under which the Company manages certain operations of agencies and facilities. The Company does not consolidate these agencies or facilities because the Company does not have an ownership interest and does not have an obligation to absorb losses of the entities or the right to receive the benefits from the entities.
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company reports net service revenue at the estimated net realizable amount due from Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance, managed care payors, patients and others for services rendered. All payors contribute to both the home-based services and facility-based services.
	The following table sets forth the percentage of net service revenue earned by category of payor for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Payor:
	Medicare		80.3	%		77.2	%		79.8	%		77.9	%
	Medicaid		1.3	%		1.7	%		1.4	%		1.9	%
	Other		18.4	%		21.1	%		18.8	%		20.2	%
			100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%
	The percentage of net service revenue contributed from each reporting segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Home-based services		89.2	%		88.3	%		88.3	%		88.3	%
	Facility-based services		10.8	%		11.7	%		11.7	%		11.7	%
			100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%
	Medicare
	Home-Based Services
	Home Nursing Services. The Company’s home nursing Medicare patients are classified into one of 153 home health resource groups prior to receiving services. Based on the patient’s home health resource group, the Company is entitled to receive a standard prospective Medicare payment for delivering care over a 60-day period referred to as an episode. The Company recognizes revenue based on the number of days elapsed during an episode of care within the reporting period.
	Final payments from Medicare may reflect one of four retroactive adjustments to ensure the adequacy and effectiveness of the total reimbursement: (a) an outlier payment if the patient’s care was unusually costly; (b) a low utilization adjustment if the number of visits was fewer than five; (c) a partial payment if the patient transferred to another provider before completing the episode; or (d) a payment adjustment based upon the level of therapy services required in the population base. In calculating net service revenue, management estimates the impact of these payment adjustments based on historical experience and records this estimate as the services are rendered using the expected level of services that will be provided and the schedule of those services or a historical average of prior adjustments.
	Hospice Services. The Company is paid by Medicare under a per diem payment system. The Company receives one of four predetermined daily or hourly rates based upon the level of care the Company furnished. The Company records net service revenue from hospice services based on the daily or hourly rate and recognizes revenue as hospice services are provided.
	Hospice payments are also subject to an inpatient cap and an overall Medicare payment cap. Inpatient cap relates to individual programs receiving more than 20% of its total Medicare reimbursement from inpatient care services and the overall Medicare payment cap relates to individual providers receiving reimbursements in excess of a “cap amount,” calculated by multiplying the number of beneficiaries during the period by a statutory amount that is indexed for inflation. The determination for each cap is made annually based on the 12-month period ending on October 31 of each year. The Company monitors its limits on a provider-by-provider basis and records an estimate of its liability for reimbursements received in excess of the cap amount. Annually, the Company receives notification of whether any of its hospice providers have exceeded either cap. Adjustments resulting from these notifications have not been material.
	Facility-Based Services
	Long-Term Acute Care Services. The Company is reimbursed by Medicare for services provided under the LTACH prospective payment system. Each patient is assigned a long-term care diagnosis-related group. The Company is paid a predetermined fixed amount intended to reflect the average cost of treating a Medicare patient classified in that particular long-term care diagnosis-related group. For selected patients, the amount may be further adjusted based on length of stay and facility-specific costs, as well as in instances where a patient is discharged and subsequently re-admitted, among other factors. The Company calculates the adjustment based on a historical average of these types of adjustments for claims paid. Similar to other Medicare prospective payment systems, the rate is also adjusted for geographic wage differences. Revenue is recognized for the Company’s LTACHs as services are provided.
	Medicaid, managed care and other payors
	The Company’s Medicaid reimbursement is based on a predetermined fee schedule applied to each service provided. Therefore, revenue is recognized for Medicaid services as services are provided based on this fee schedule. The Company’s managed care and other payors reimburse the Company in a manner similar to either Medicare or Medicaid. Accordingly, the Company recognizes revenue from managed care and other payors in the same manner as the Company recognizes revenue from Medicare or Medicaid.
	Management Services
	The Company records management services revenue as such services are provided in accordance with the various management services agreements to which the Company is a party. As described in the management services agreements, the Company provides billing, management and other consulting services suited to and designed for the efficient operation of the applicable home nursing agency. The Company is responsible for the costs associated with the locations and personnel required for the provision of services. The Company is compensated based on two management fee structures. One management fee structure is based on a percentage of cash collections, while the second management fee structure is based on reimbursement of operating expenses plus a percentage of operating net income.
	Accounts Receivable and Allowances for Uncollectible Accounts
	The Company reports accounts receivable net of estimated allowances for uncollectible accounts and adjustments. Accounts receivable are uncollateralized and primarily consist of amounts due from Medicare, other third-party payors, and patients. To provide for accounts receivable that could become uncollectible in the future, the Company establishes an allowance for uncollectible accounts to reduce the carrying amount of such receivables to their estimated net realizable value. The credit risk for other concentrations of receivables is limited due to the significance of Medicare as the primary payor. The Company believes the credit risk associated with its Medicare accounts, which have historically exceeded 60% of its patient accounts receivable, is limited due to (i) the historical collection rate from Medicare and (ii) the fact that Medicare is a U.S. government payor. The Company does not believe that there are any other concentrations of receivables from any particular payor that would subject it to any significant credit risk in the collection of accounts receivable.
	The provision for bad debts is based upon the Company’s assessment of historical and expected net collections, business and economic conditions and trends in government reimbursement. Uncollectible accounts are written off when the Company has determined the account will not be collected.
	A portion of the estimated Medicare prospective payment system reimbursement from each submitted home nursing episode is received in the form of a request for anticipated payment (“RAP”). The Company submits a RAP for 60% of the estimated reimbursement for the initial episode at the start of care. The full amount of the episode is billed after the episode has been completed. The RAP received for that particular episode is deducted from the final payment. If a final bill is not submitted within the greater of 120 days from the start of the episode, or 60 days from the date the RAP was paid, any RAP received for that episode will be recouped by Medicare from any other Medicare claims in process for that particular provider. The RAP and final claim must then be resubmitted. For subsequent episodes of care contiguous with the first episode for a particular patient, the Company submits a RAP for 50% instead of 60% of the estimated reimbursement.
	The Company’s Medicare population is paid at a prospectively set amount that can be determined at the time services are rendered. The Company’s Medicaid reimbursement is based on a predetermined fee schedule applied to each individual service it provides. The Company’s managed care contracts and contracts with other payors are structured similar to either the Medicare or Medicaid payment methodologies. Because of its payor mix, the Company is able to calculate its actual amount due at the patient level and adjust the gross charges down to the actual amount at the time of billing. This negates the need to record an estimated contractual allowance when reporting net service revenue for each reporting period.
	Other Significant Accounting Policies
	Earnings Per Share
	Basic per share information is computed by dividing the relevant amounts from the condensed consolidated statements of income by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period, under the treasury stock method. Diluted per share information is also computed using the treasury stock method, by dividing the relevant amounts from the condensed consolidated statements of income by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding plus potentially dilutive shares.
	The following table sets forth shares used in the computation of basic and diluted per share information:
	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
	September 30,						September 30,
	2013			2012			2013			2012
Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation		17,083,201			17,656,842			17,035,541			18,121,217
Effect of dilutive potential shares:
Options		4,208			1,935			4,032			1,849
Nonvested stock		94,604			68,042			70,102			37,423
Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation		17,182,013			17,726,819			17,109,675			18,160,489
Anti-dilutive shares		94,299			176,641			181,648			348,595

Acquisitions_and_Disposals

Acquisitions and Disposals	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
Acquisitions and Disposals	'
	3. Acquisitions and Disposals
	Pursuant to the Company’s strategy for becoming the leading provider of post-acute health care services in the United States, the Company acquired the home-based service line of Addus HomeCare, which consisted of 19 home health agencies and one hospice agency, during the nine months ended September 30, 2013. Additionally, in separate acquisitions, the Company acquired one hospice agency and four home health agencies. The Company maintains an ownership interest in the acquired entities as set forth below:
	Acquired Entity	Ownership			State of Operations	Acquisition
		Percentage				Date
	LHCG XXXVII, LLC (d/b/a Addus HealthCare)		90	%	Illinois	3/1/13
	LHCG XXXVIII, LLC (d/b/a Addus HealthCare)		90	%	California	3/1/13
	LHCG XLII, LLC (d/b/a/ Arkansas HomeCare)		100	%	Arkansas	3/1/13
	LHCG XLI, LLC (d/b/a South Carolina HomeCare)		100	%	South Carolina	3/1/13
	LHCG XXXIX, LLC (d/b/a Addus HealthCare)		100	%	Nevada	3/1/13
	LHCG XXXIV, LLC (d/b/a Alabama Hospice Care of Mobile)		100	%	Alabama	4/1/13
	LHCG XL, LLC (d/b/a Georgia Home Health)		100	%	Georgia	7/1/13
	Acquired Entity	Ownership			State of Operations	Acquisition
		Percentage				Date
	LHCG XXVII, LLC (d/b/a Pennsylvania Home Health)		100	%	Pennsylvania		7/1/13
	LHCG XLVIII, LLC (d/b/a Minnesota Home Health)		100	%	Minnesota		7/1/13
	LHCG XLVII, LLC (d/b/a Wisconsin Home Health)		100	%	Wisconsin		7/1/13
	Each of the acquisitions was accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting, and accordingly, the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the results of operations of each acquired entity from the date of acquisition.
	The total aggregate purchase price for the Company’s acquisitions was $27.3 million, of which $26.9 million was paid in cash and $380,000 in assumed liabilities. The purchase prices are determined based on the Company’s analysis of comparable acquisitions and the target market’s potential future cash flows. The Company paid $569,000 in acquisition-related costs, which was recorded in general and administrative expenses.
	The Company’s home-based services segment recognized aggregate goodwill of $25.7 million for the acquisitions, including $622,000 of noncontrolling goodwill. Goodwill generated from the acquisitions was recognized based on the expected contributions of each acquisition to the overall corporate strategy. The Company expects its portion of goodwill to be fully tax deductible. The following table summarizes the aggregate consideration paid for the acquisitions and the amounts of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition dates, as well as the fair value at the acquisition dates of the noncontrolling interest acquired (all amounts are in thousands):
	Consideration
	Cash	$	26,920
	Fair value of total consideration transferred	$	26,920
	Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
	Trade name	$	1,177
	Certificate of need/license		598
	Other identifiable intangible assets		331
	Other assets and (liabilities), net		(321	)
	Total identifiable assets	$	1,785
	Noncontrolling interest	$	608
	Goodwill, including noncontrolling interest of $622	$	25,743
	Trade names, certificates of need and licenses are indefinite-lived assets and, therefore, not subject to amortization. Acquired trade names that are not being used actively are amortized over the estimated useful life on the straight line basis. The other identifiable assets include non-compete agreements that are amortized over the life of the agreements ranging from two to five years. Noncontrolling interest is valued at fair value by applying a discount to the value of the acquired entity for lack of control. The fair value of the acquired intangible assets is preliminary pending the final valuation of those assets.
	Purchase of Membership Interest in Company’s Subsidiary
	During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company purchased additional membership interests in six of its equity joint ventures. The total purchase price for the additional ownership from these equity transactions was $1.9 million, resulting in the Company reducing noncontrolling interest-redeemable by $612,000 and additional paid in capital by $1.3 million.

Goodwill_and_Intangibles

Goodwill and Intangibles	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Goodwill and Intangibles	'
	4. Goodwill and Intangibles
	The changes in recorded goodwill by segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
		Nine Months Ended
		September 30,
		2013
	Home-based services segment:
	Balance at beginning of period	$	157,559
	Goodwill from acquisitions		25,121
	Goodwill related to noncontrolling interest		622
	Balance as of September 30, 2013	$	183,302
	Facility-based services segment:
	Balance at beginning of period	$	11,591
	Balance as of September 30, 2013	$	11,591
	Consolidated balance as of September 30, 2013	$	194,893
	The following table summarizes the changes in intangible assets during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 (amounts in thousands):
		Trade Names			Certificate of		Other			Total
					Need/		Intangibles
					License
	Balance as of December 31, 2012	$	51,408		$	10,100	$	534		$	62,042
	Additions		1,177			598		331			2,106
	Amortization		(569	)		—		(380	)		(949	)
	Balance as of September 30, 2013	$	52,016		$	10,698	$	485		$	63,199
	Intangible assets of $62.1 million, net of accumulated amortization, were related to the home-based services segment and $1.1 million were related to the facility-based services segment as of September 30, 2013.
	During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company determined there was no impairment of goodwill in any reporting unit nor certain intangible assets. During the nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Company recorded an impairment change related to certain intangible assets of $650,000.

Credit_Facility

Credit Facility	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Credit Facility	'
	5. Credit Facility
	As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, the Company had $24.0 million and $19.5 million drawn and letters of credit totaling $6.2 million and $6.0 million outstanding under the Company’s credit agreement with Capital One, National Association. The interest rate for borrowings under its credit facility is a function of the prime rate (base rate) or London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) as elected by the Company, plus the applicable margin based on the Leverage Ratio, as defined in the credit agreement. The interest rate at September 30, 2013 was 4.25%.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	6. Income Taxes
	As of September 30, 2013, an unrecognized tax benefit of $3.4 million was recorded in income tax payable, which, if recognized, would decrease the Company’s effective tax rate. All of the Company’s unrecognized tax benefit is due to the settlement with the United States of America, which was announced September 30, 2011.

Stockholders_Equity

Stockholder's Equity	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Equity [Abstract]	'
Stockholder's Equity	'
	7. Stockholder’s Equity
	Equity Based Awards
	The 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan (the “2010 Incentive Plan”) is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. A total of 1,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock is reserved and available for issuance pursuant to awards granted under the 2010 Incentive Plan. A variety of discretionary awards for employees, officers, directors and consultants are authorized under the 2010 Incentive Plan, including incentive or non-qualified statutory stock options and nonvested stock. All awards must be evidenced by a written award certificate which will include the provisions specified by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee determines the exercise price for non-statutory stock options. The exercise price for any option cannot be less than the fair market value of the Company’s common stock as of the date of grant.
	Share Based Compensation
	Nonvested Stock
	During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company’s independent directors were granted 24,300 nonvested shares of common stock under the 2005 Director Compensation Plan. The shares were drawn from the 1,500,000 shares of common stock reserved and available for issuance under the 2010 Incentive Plan. The shares vest 100% on the one year anniversary date. During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, employees were granted 181,648 nonvested shares of common stock pursuant to the 2010 Incentive Plan. The shares generally vest over a five year period, conditioned on continued employment for the full incentive period. The fair value of nonvested shares of common stock is determined based on the closing trading price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The weighted average grant date fair value of nonvested shares of common stock granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 was $21.21.
	The following table represents the nonvested stock activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2013:
			Number of			Weighted
			Shares			average grant
						date fair value
	Nonvested shares outstanding as of December 31, 2012			486,061		$	22.33
	Granted			205,948		$	21.21
	Vested			(175,721	)	$	21.82
	Nonvested shares outstanding as of September 30, 2013			516,288		$	22.05
	During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, an independent director of the Company received a share based award, which will be settled in cash at March 1, 2014. The amount of such cash payment will equal the fair market value of 2,700 shares on the settlement date.
	As of September 30, 2013, there was $8.5 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested shares of common stock granted. That cost is expected to be recognized over the weighted average period of 3.28 years. The total fair value of shares of common stock vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was $3.8 million and $3.5 million, respectively. The Company records compensation expense related to nonvested stock awards at the grant date for shares of common stock that are awarded fully vested, and over the vesting term on a straight line basis for shares of common stock that vest over time. The Company recorded $2.9 million and $3.4 million of compensation expense related to nonvested stock grants in the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan
	In 2006, the Company adopted the Employee Stock Purchase Plan whereby eligible employees may purchase the Company’s common stock at 95% of the market price on the last day of the calendar quarter. There were 250,000 shares of common stock initially reserved for the plan.
	On June 20, 2013, the Amended and Restated Employee Stock Purchase Plan was approved by the Company’s stockholders.
	As a result of the amendment, the Employee Stock Purchase Plan was modified as follows:
		•		An additional 250,000 shares of common stock were authorized for issuance over the term of the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
		•		The term of the Employee Stock Purchase Plan was extended from January 1, 2016 to January 1, 2023.
	The table below details the shares of common stock issued during 2013:
			Number of			Per share
			Shares			price
	Shares available as of December 31, 2012			61,247
	Additional shares authorized for issuance			250,000
	Shares issued during three months ended March 31, 2013			8,845		$	20.24
	Shares issued during three months ended June 30, 2013			10,385		$	20.43
	Shares issued during three months ended September 30, 2013			9,600		$	18.6
	Shares available as of September 30, 2013			282,417
	Stock Options
	As of September 30, 2013, 15,000 options were issued and exercisable. During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, no options were exercised or forfeited and no options were granted.
	Treasury Stock
	In conjunction with the vesting of the nonvested shares of common stock, recipients incur personal income tax obligations. The Company allows the recipients to turn in shares of common stock to satisfy minimum tax obligations. During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company redeemed 37,353 shares of common stock valued at $794,000, related to these tax obligations.
	Stock Repurchase Program
	In October 2010, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program to repurchase shares of the Company’s common stock, from time to time, in an amount not to exceed $50.0 million (“the Stock Repurchase Program”). The Company anticipates that it will finance any future such repurchases made under the Stock Repurchase Program with cash from general corporate funds or draws under its credit facility. The Company may repurchase shares of common stock in open market purchases or in privately negotiated transactions in accordance with applicable securities laws, rules and regulations. The timing and extent to which the Company repurchases its shares will depend upon market conditions and other corporate considerations.
	The Company uses the cost method to account for the repurchase of common stock and the average cost method to account for reissuance of treasury shares. During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, no shares have been repurchased or reissued from treasury shares. The remaining dollar value of shares authorized to be purchased under the Stock Repurchase Program was $22.5 million as of September 30, 2013.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Commitments and Contingencies	'
	8. Commitments and Contingencies
	Contingencies
	The Company is involved in various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Although the results of litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes the outcome of pending litigation will not have a material adverse effect, after considering the effect of the Company’s insurance coverage, on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.
	On October 17, 2011, the Company received a subpoena from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (the “OIG”). The subpoena requests documents related to the Company’s agencies in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The Company is continuing to produce the requested documents and is cooperating with the OIG’s review in this matter. The Company cannot predict the outcome or effect of this review, if any, on the Company’s business.
	On June 13, 2012, a putative shareholder securities class action was filed against the Company and its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, styled City of Omaha Police & Fire Retirement System v. LHC Group, Inc., et al., Case No. 6:12-cv-01609-JTT-CMH. The action was filed on behalf of LHC shareholders who purchased shares of the Company’s common stock between July 30, 2008 and October 26, 2011. Plaintiff generally alleges that the defendants caused false and misleading statements to be issued in violation of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, amended (“the Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder and that the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is a control person under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act. On November 2, 2012, Lead Plaintiff City of Omaha Police & Fire Retirement System filed an Amended Complaint for Violations of the Federal Securities Laws (“the Amended Complaint”) on behalf of the same putative class of LHC shareholders as the original Complaint. In addition to claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act, the Amended Complaint added a claim against the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for violation of Section 20A of the Exchange Act. The Company believes these claims are without merit and intends to defend this lawsuit vigorously. On December 17, 2012, the Company and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer filed a motion to dismiss the Amended Complaint, which was denied by Order dated March 15, 2013. The parties are presently conducting fact discovery. The Company cannot predict the outcome or effect of this lawsuit, if any, on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
	On October 18, 2013, a derivative complaint was filed by a purported Company shareholder against certain of the Company’s current and former executive officers, employees and members of its Board of Directors in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, styled Plummer v. Myers, et al., Case No. 6:13-cv-02899. The action was brought derivatively on behalf of the Company, which is also named as a nominal defendant. Plaintiff generally alleges that the individual defendants breached their fiduciary duties owed to the Company. The complaint also alleges claims for insider selling and unjust enrichment against the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and the Company’s former President and Chief Operating Officer. The Company believes these claims are without merit and intends to defend this lawsuit vigorously. The Company cannot predict the outcome or effect of this lawsuit, if any, on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
	Except as discussed above, the Company is not aware of any pending or threatened investigations involving allegations of potential wrongdoing.
	Any negative findings in the investigations or lawsuits described above could result in substantial financial penalties or awards against the Company or exclusion from future participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. At this time, the Company cannot predict the ultimate outcome of these inquiries or the potential range of damages, if any.
	Joint Venture Buy/Sell Provisions
	Several of the Company’s equity joint ventures include a buy/sell option that grants to the Company and its equity joint venture partners the right to require the other equity joint venture party to either purchase all of the exercising member’s membership interests or sell to the exercising member all of the non-exercising member’s membership interest, at the non-exercising member’s option, within 30 days of the receipt of notice of the exercise of the buy/sell option. In some instances, the purchase price is based on a multiple of the historical or future earnings before income taxes and depreciation and amortization of the equity joint venture at the time the buy/sell option is exercised. In other instances, the buy/sell purchase price will be negotiated by the partners and subject to a fair market valuation process.
	Compliance
	Certain laws and regulations governing the Company’s operations, along with the terms of participation in various government programs, regulate how the Company does business, the services offered and its interactions with patients and the public. These laws and regulations and their interpretations, are subject to frequent change. Changes in existing laws or regulations, or their interpretations, or the enactment of new laws or regulations could materially and adversely affect the Company’s operations and financial condition.
	The Company is subject to various routine and non-routine governmental reviews, audits and investigations. In recent years, federal and state civil and criminal enforcement agencies have heightened and coordinated their oversight efforts related to the health care industry, including referral practices, cost reporting, billing practices, joint ventures and other financial relationships among health care providers. Violation of the laws governing the Company’s operations, or changes in the interpretation of those laws, could result in the imposition of fines, civil or criminal penalties, and/or termination of the Company’s rights to participate in federal and state-sponsored programs and suspension or revocation of the Company’s licenses. The Company believes that it is in material compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Noncontrolling_interest

Noncontrolling interest	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]	'
Noncontrolling interest	'
	9. Noncontrolling interest
	Noncontrolling Interest-Redeemable
	A majority of the Company’s equity joint venture agreements include a provision that requires the Company to purchase the noncontrolling partner’s interest upon the occurrence of certain triggering events, such as death or bankruptcy of the partner or the partner’s exclusion from the Medicare or Medicaid programs. These triggering events and the related repurchase provisions are specific to each individual equity joint venture; if the repurchase provision is triggered in any one equity joint venture, the remaining equity joint ventures would not be impacted. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event, the Company would be required to purchase the noncontrolling partner’s interest at either the fair value or the book value at the time of purchase as stated in the agreement. Historically, no triggering event has occurred, and the Company believes the likelihood of a triggering event occurring is remote. The Company has never been required to purchase the noncontrolling interest of any of its equity joint venture partners. According to authoritative guidance, redeemable noncontrolling interests must be reported outside of permanent equity on the consolidated balance sheet in instances where there is a repurchase provision with a triggering event that is outside the control of the Company.
	The following table summarizes the activity of noncontrolling interest-redeemable for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 (amounts in thousands):
	Balance as of December 31, 2012		$	11,426
	Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable			4,241
	Noncontrolling interest-redeemable distributions			(5,538	)
	Transfer of noncontrolling interest			1,342
	Acquired noncontrolling interest (1)			608
	Purchase of additional controlling interest			(612	)
	Balance as of September 30, 2013		$	11,467
	-1	The noncontrolling interest balance at December 31, 2012 included a preliminary fair value of the noncontrolling interest acquired in 2012. The valuation was finalized and recorded during the nine months ended September 30, 2013.

Allowance_for_Uncollectible_Ac

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Valuation And Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]	'
Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts	'
	10. Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts
	The following table summarizes the activity and ending balances in the allowance for uncollectible accounts (amounts in thousands):
	Balance as of December 31, 2012	$	11,863
	Additions and expenses		9,833
	Deductions		(7,701	)
	Balance as of September 30, 2013	$	13,995

Fair_Value_of_Financial_Instru

Fair Value of Financial Instruments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	'
	11. Fair Value of Financial Instruments
	The carrying amounts of the Company’s cash, receivables, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair values. For the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the carrying value of the Company’s long-term debt approximates fair value as the interest rates approximate current rates.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Segment Information	'
	12. Segment Information
	The Company’s segments consist of home-based services and facility-based services. Home-based services include home nursing services and hospice services. Facility-based services include long-term acute care services. The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies.
	A reclassification has been made to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 segment information to reclassify $400,000 of other intangibles impairment charge, $162,400 of income tax expense and $400,000 reduction of assets to the facility-based services segment. The amount was previously recorded in home-based services segment; however, the transactions are specific to the facility-based services segment.
	The following tables summarize the Company’s segment information for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 (amounts in thousands):
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Home-			Facility-			Total
		Based			Based
		Services			Services
	Net service revenue	$	146,910		$	17,838		$	164,748
	Cost of service revenue		87,082			10,884			97,966
	Provision for bad debts		2,651			57			2,708
	General and administrative expenses		47,969			5,078			53,047
	Operating income		9,208			1,819			11,027
	Interest expense		(387	)		(43	)		(430	)
	Non-operating income		36			18			54
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest		8,857			1,794			10,651
	Income tax expense		3,422			360			3,782
	Net income		5,435			1,434			6,869
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		1,279			293			1,572
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	4,156		$	1,141		$	5,297
	Total assets	$	379,340		$	34,693		$	414,033
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2012
		Home-			Facility-			Total
		Based			Based
		Services			Services
	Net service revenue	$	140,256		$	18,670		$	158,926
	Cost of service revenue		80,579			10,655			91,234
	Provision for bad debts		2,669			318			2,987
	General and administrative expenses		47,110			5,354			52,464
	Other intangibles impairment charge		250			400			650
	Operating income		9,648			1,943			11,591
	Interest expense		(364	)		(41	)		(405	)
	Non-operating income		74			20			94
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest		9,358			1,922			11,280
	Income tax expense		3,213			175			3,388
	Net income		6,145			1,747			7,892
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		1,308			248			1,556
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	4,837		$	1,499		$	6,336
	Total assets	$	352,941		$	34,557		$	387,498
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Home-			Facility-			Total
		Based			Based
		Services			Services
	Net service revenue	$	435,441		$	57,562		$	493,003
	Cost of service revenue		254,924			33,299			288,223
	Provision for bad debts		8,796			1,037			9,833
	General and administrative expenses		142,908			15,919			158,827
	Operating income		28,813			7,307			36,120
	Interest expense		(1,404	)		(151	)		(1,555	)
	Non-operating income		115			69			184
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest		27,524			7,225			34,749
	Income tax expense		11,062			1,174			12,236
	Net income		16,462			6,051			22,513
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		4,094			1,046			5,140
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	12,368		$	5,005		$	17,373
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012
		Home-			Facility-			Total
		Based			Based
		Services			Services
	Net service revenue	$	419,847		$	55,895		$	475,742
	Cost of service revenue		240,347			32,964			273,311
	Provision for bad debts		7,626			769			8,395
	General and administrative expenses		137,902			16,411			154,313
Other intangibles impairment charge		250			400			650
Operating income		33,722			5,351			39,073
Interest expense		(874	)		(98	)		(972	)
Non-operating income		77			31			108
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest		32,925			5,284			38,209
Income tax expense		11,641			1,065			12,706
Net income		21,284			4,219			25,503
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		4,826			637			5,463
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	16,458		$	3,582		$	20,040

Significant_Accounting_Policie1

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Use of Estimates	'
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Critical Accounting Policies	'
	Critical Accounting Policies
	The Company’s most critical accounting policies relate to the principles of consolidation, revenue recognition and accounts receivable and allowances for uncollectible accounts.
Principles of Consolidation	'
	Principles of Consolidation
	The condensed consolidated financial statements include all subsidiaries and entities controlled by the Company. Control is defined by the Company as ownership of a majority of the voting interest of an entity. The condensed consolidated financial statements include entities in which the Company receives a majority of the entities’ expected residual returns, absorbs a majority of the entities’ expected losses, or both, as a result of ownership, contractual or other financial interests in the entity. Third party equity interests in the consolidated joint ventures are reflected as noncontrolling interests in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.
	The following table summarizes the percentage of net service revenue earned by type of ownership or relationship the Company had with the operating entity:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Equity joint ventures		48.1	%		49.1	%		48.9	%		48.7	%
	Wholly-owned subsidiaries		49.3	%		48.1	%		48.4	%		48.5	%
	License leasing arrangements		1.8	%		1.9	%		1.9	%		1.9	%
	Management services		0.8	%		0.9	%		0.8	%		0.9	%
			100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%
	All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the Company’s accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. Business combinations accounted for under the acquisition method have been included in the condensed consolidated financial statements from the respective dates of acquisition.
	The following describes the Company’s consolidation policy with respect to its various ventures excluding wholly-owned subsidiaries:
	Equity Joint Ventures
	The members of the Company’s equity joint ventures participate in profits and losses in proportion to their equity interests. The Company consolidates these entities as the Company has voting control over the entities. The Company typically owns a majority equity interest ranging from 51% to 91% in these joint ventures.
	License Leasing Arrangements
	The Company, through wholly-owned subsidiaries, leases home health licenses necessary to operate certain of its home nursing agencies. As with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, the Company owns 100% of the equity of these entities and consolidates them based on such ownership.
	Management Services
	The Company has various management services agreements under which the Company manages certain operations of agencies and facilities. The Company does not consolidate these agencies or facilities because the Company does not have an ownership interest and does not have an obligation to absorb losses of the entities or the right to receive the benefits from the entities.
Revenue Recognition	'
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company reports net service revenue at the estimated net realizable amount due from Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance, managed care payors, patients and others for services rendered. All payors contribute to both the home-based services and facility-based services.
	The following table sets forth the percentage of net service revenue earned by category of payor for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Payor:
	Medicare		80.3	%		77.2	%		79.8	%		77.9	%
	Medicaid		1.3	%		1.7	%		1.4	%		1.9	%
	Other		18.4	%		21.1	%		18.8	%		20.2	%
			100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%
	The percentage of net service revenue contributed from each reporting segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Home-based services		89.2	%		88.3	%		88.3	%		88.3	%
	Facility-based services		10.8	%		11.7	%		11.7	%		11.7	%
			100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%
	Medicare
	Home-Based Services
	Home Nursing Services. The Company’s home nursing Medicare patients are classified into one of 153 home health resource groups prior to receiving services. Based on the patient’s home health resource group, the Company is entitled to receive a standard prospective Medicare payment for delivering care over a 60-day period referred to as an episode. The Company recognizes revenue based on the number of days elapsed during an episode of care within the reporting period.
	Final payments from Medicare may reflect one of four retroactive adjustments to ensure the adequacy and effectiveness of the total reimbursement: (a) an outlier payment if the patient’s care was unusually costly; (b) a low utilization adjustment if the number of visits was fewer than five; (c) a partial payment if the patient transferred to another provider before completing the episode; or (d) a payment adjustment based upon the level of therapy services required in the population base. In calculating net service revenue, management estimates the impact of these payment adjustments based on historical experience and records this estimate as the services are rendered using the expected level of services that will be provided and the schedule of those services or a historical average of prior adjustments.
	Hospice Services. The Company is paid by Medicare under a per diem payment system. The Company receives one of four predetermined daily or hourly rates based upon the level of care the Company furnished. The Company records net service revenue from hospice services based on the daily or hourly rate and recognizes revenue as hospice services are provided.
	Hospice payments are also subject to an inpatient cap and an overall Medicare payment cap. Inpatient cap relates to individual programs receiving more than 20% of its total Medicare reimbursement from inpatient care services and the overall Medicare payment cap relates to individual providers receiving reimbursements in excess of a “cap amount,” calculated by multiplying the number of beneficiaries during the period by a statutory amount that is indexed for inflation. The determination for each cap is made annually based on the 12-month period ending on October 31 of each year. The Company monitors its limits on a provider-by-provider basis and records an estimate of its liability for reimbursements received in excess of the cap amount. Annually, the Company receives notification of whether any of its hospice providers have exceeded either cap. Adjustments resulting from these notifications have not been material.
	Facility-Based Services
	Long-Term Acute Care Services. The Company is reimbursed by Medicare for services provided under the LTACH prospective payment system. Each patient is assigned a long-term care diagnosis-related group. The Company is paid a predetermined fixed amount intended to reflect the average cost of treating a Medicare patient classified in that particular long-term care diagnosis-related group. For selected patients, the amount may be further adjusted based on length of stay and facility-specific costs, as well as in instances where a patient is discharged and subsequently re-admitted, among other factors. The Company calculates the adjustment based on a historical average of these types of adjustments for claims paid. Similar to other Medicare prospective payment systems, the rate is also adjusted for geographic wage differences. Revenue is recognized for the Company’s LTACHs as services are provided.
	Medicaid, managed care and other payors
	The Company’s Medicaid reimbursement is based on a predetermined fee schedule applied to each service provided. Therefore, revenue is recognized for Medicaid services as services are provided based on this fee schedule. The Company’s managed care and other payors reimburse the Company in a manner similar to either Medicare or Medicaid. Accordingly, the Company recognizes revenue from managed care and other payors in the same manner as the Company recognizes revenue from Medicare or Medicaid.
	Management Services
	The Company records management services revenue as such services are provided in accordance with the various management services agreements to which the Company is a party. As described in the management services agreements, the Company provides billing, management and other consulting services suited to and designed for the efficient operation of the applicable home nursing agency. The Company is responsible for the costs associated with the locations and personnel required for the provision of services. The Company is compensated based on two management fee structures. One management fee structure is based on a percentage of cash collections, while the second management fee structure is based on reimbursement of operating expenses plus a percentage of operating net income.
Accounts Receivable and Allowances for Uncollectible Accounts	'
	Accounts Receivable and Allowances for Uncollectible Accounts
	The Company reports accounts receivable net of estimated allowances for uncollectible accounts and adjustments. Accounts receivable are uncollateralized and primarily consist of amounts due from Medicare, other third-party payors, and patients. To provide for accounts receivable that could become uncollectible in the future, the Company establishes an allowance for uncollectible accounts to reduce the carrying amount of such receivables to their estimated net realizable value. The credit risk for other concentrations of receivables is limited due to the significance of Medicare as the primary payor. The Company believes the credit risk associated with its Medicare accounts, which have historically exceeded 60% of its patient accounts receivable, is limited due to (i) the historical collection rate from Medicare and (ii) the fact that Medicare is a U.S. government payor. The Company does not believe that there are any other concentrations of receivables from any particular payor that would subject it to any significant credit risk in the collection of accounts receivable.
	The provision for bad debts is based upon the Company’s assessment of historical and expected net collections, business and economic conditions and trends in government reimbursement. Uncollectible accounts are written off when the Company has determined the account will not be collected.
	A portion of the estimated Medicare prospective payment system reimbursement from each submitted home nursing episode is received in the form of a request for anticipated payment (“RAP”). The Company submits a RAP for 60% of the estimated reimbursement for the initial episode at the start of care. The full amount of the episode is billed after the episode has been completed. The RAP received for that particular episode is deducted from the final payment. If a final bill is not submitted within the greater of 120 days from the start of the episode, or 60 days from the date the RAP was paid, any RAP received for that episode will be recouped by Medicare from any other Medicare claims in process for that particular provider. The RAP and final claim must then be resubmitted. For subsequent episodes of care contiguous with the first episode for a particular patient, the Company submits a RAP for 50% instead of 60% of the estimated reimbursement.
	The Company’s Medicare population is paid at a prospectively set amount that can be determined at the time services are rendered. The Company’s Medicaid reimbursement is based on a predetermined fee schedule applied to each individual service it provides. The Company’s managed care contracts and contracts with other payors are structured similar to either the Medicare or Medicaid payment methodologies. Because of its payor mix, the Company is able to calculate its actual amount due at the patient level and adjust the gross charges down to the actual amount at the time of billing. This negates the need to record an estimated contractual allowance when reporting net service revenue for each reporting period.
Earnings Per Share	'
	Earnings Per Share
	Basic per share information is computed by dividing the relevant amounts from the condensed consolidated statements of income by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period, under the treasury stock method. Diluted per share information is also computed using the treasury stock method, by dividing the relevant amounts from the condensed consolidated statements of income by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding plus potentially dilutive shares.
	The following table sets forth shares used in the computation of basic and diluted per share information:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation		17,083,201			17,656,842			17,035,541			18,121,217
	Effect of dilutive potential shares:
	Options		4,208			1,935			4,032			1,849
	Nonvested stock		94,604			68,042			70,102			37,423
	Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation		17,182,013			17,726,819			17,109,675			18,160,489
	Anti-dilutive shares		94,299			176,641			181,648			348,595

Significant_Accounting_Policie2

Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Percentage of Net Service Revenue Earned by Type of Ownership or Relationship with Operating Entity	'
	The following table summarizes the percentage of net service revenue earned by type of ownership or relationship the Company had with the operating entity:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Equity joint ventures		48.1	%		49.1	%		48.9	%		48.7	%
	Wholly-owned subsidiaries		49.3	%		48.1	%		48.4	%		48.5	%
	License leasing arrangements		1.8	%		1.9	%		1.9	%		1.9	%
	Management services		0.8	%		0.9	%		0.8	%		0.9	%
			100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%
Percentage of Net Service Revenue Earned by Category of Payor	'
	The following table sets forth the percentage of net service revenue earned by category of payor for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Payor:
	Medicare		80.3	%		77.2	%		79.8	%		77.9	%
	Medicaid		1.3	%		1.7	%		1.4	%		1.9	%
	Other		18.4	%		21.1	%		18.8	%		20.2	%
			100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%
Percentage of Net Service Revenue Contributed from Each Reporting Segment	'
	The percentage of net service revenue contributed from each reporting segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Home-based services		89.2	%		88.3	%		88.3	%		88.3	%
	Facility-based services		10.8	%		11.7	%		11.7	%		11.7	%
			100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%
Shares Used in Computation of Basic and Diluted Per Share Information	'
	The following table sets forth shares used in the computation of basic and diluted per share information:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation		17,083,201			17,656,842			17,035,541			18,121,217
	Effect of dilutive potential shares:
	Options		4,208			1,935			4,032			1,849
	Nonvested stock		94,604			68,042			70,102			37,423
	Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation		17,182,013			17,726,819			17,109,675			18,160,489
	Anti-dilutive shares		94,299			176,641			181,648			348,595

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Tab

Acquisitions and Disposals (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Acquired Entities	'
	The Company maintains an ownership interest in the acquired entities as set forth below:
	Acquired Entity	Ownership			State of Operations	Acquisition
		Percentage				Date
	LHCG XXXVII, LLC (d/b/a Addus HealthCare)		90	%	Illinois	3/1/13
	LHCG XXXVIII, LLC (d/b/a Addus HealthCare)		90	%	California	3/1/13
	LHCG XLII, LLC (d/b/a/ Arkansas HomeCare)		100	%	Arkansas	3/1/13
	LHCG XLI, LLC (d/b/a South Carolina HomeCare)		100	%	South Carolina	3/1/13
	LHCG XXXIX, LLC (d/b/a Addus HealthCare)		100	%	Nevada	3/1/13
	LHCG XXXIV, LLC (d/b/a Alabama Hospice Care of Mobile)		100	%	Alabama	4/1/13
	LHCG XL, LLC (d/b/a Georgia Home Health)		100	%	Georgia	7/1/13
	Acquired Entity	Ownership			State of Operations	Acquisition
		Percentage				Date
	LHCG XXVII, LLC (d/b/a Pennsylvania Home Health)		100	%	Pennsylvania		7/1/13
	LHCG XLVIII, LLC (d/b/a Minnesota Home Health)		100	%	Minnesota		7/1/13
	LHCG XLVII, LLC (d/b/a Wisconsin Home Health)		100	%	Wisconsin		7/1/13
Schedule of Aggregate Consideration Paid and Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed	'
	The following table summarizes the aggregate consideration paid for the acquisitions and the amounts of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition dates, as well as the fair value at the acquisition dates of the noncontrolling interest acquired (all amounts are in thousands):
	Consideration
	Cash	$	26,920
	Fair value of total consideration transferred	$	26,920
	Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
	Trade name	$	1,177
	Certificate of need/license		598
	Other identifiable intangible assets		331
	Other assets and (liabilities), net		(321	)
	Total identifiable assets	$	1,785
	Noncontrolling interest	$	608
	Goodwill, including noncontrolling interest of $622	$	25,743

Goodwill_and_Intangibles_Table

Goodwill and Intangibles (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Changes in Goodwill by Segment	'
	The changes in recorded goodwill by segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
		Nine Months Ended
		September 30,
		2013
	Home-based services segment:
	Balance at beginning of period	$	157,559
	Goodwill from acquisitions		25,121
	Goodwill related to noncontrolling interest		622
	Balance as of September 30, 2013	$	183,302
	Facility-based services segment:
	Balance at beginning of period	$	11,591
	Balance as of September 30, 2013	$	11,591
	Consolidated balance as of September 30, 2013	$	194,893
Schedule of Changes in Intangible Assets	'
	The following table summarizes the changes in intangible assets during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 (amounts in thousands):
		Trade Names			Certificate of		Other			Total
					Need/		Intangibles
					License
	Balance as of December 31, 2012	$	51,408		$	10,100	$	534		$	62,042
	Additions		1,177			598		331			2,106
	Amortization		(569	)		—		(380	)		(949	)
	Balance as of September 30, 2013	$	52,016		$	10,698	$	485		$	63,199

Stockholders_Equity_Tables

Stockholder's Equity (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Equity [Abstract]	'
Nonvested Stock Activity	'
	The following table represents the nonvested stock activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2013:
		Number of			Weighted
		Shares			average grant
					date fair value
	Nonvested shares outstanding as of December 31, 2012		486,061		$	22.33
	Granted		205,948		$	21.21
	Vested		(175,721	)	$	21.82
	Nonvested shares outstanding as of September 30, 2013		516,288		$	22.05
Shares of Common Stock Issued During 2013 Under Employee Stock Purchase Plan	'
	The table below details the shares of common stock issued during 2013:
		Number of			Per share
		Shares			price
	Shares available as of December 31, 2012		61,247
	Additional shares authorized for issuance		250,000
	Shares issued during three months ended March 31, 2013		8,845		$	20.24
	Shares issued during three months ended June 30, 2013		10,385		$	20.43
	Shares issued during three months ended September 30, 2013		9,600		$	18.6
	Shares available as of September 30, 2013		282,417

Noncontrolling_interest_Tables

Noncontrolling interest (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]	'
Summary of Activity of Noncontrolling Interest-Redeemable	'
	The following table summarizes the activity of noncontrolling interest-redeemable for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 (amounts in thousands):
	Balance as of December 31, 2012		$	11,426
	Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable			4,241
	Noncontrolling interest-redeemable distributions			(5,538	)
	Transfer of noncontrolling interest			1,342
	Acquired noncontrolling interest (1)			608
	Purchase of additional controlling interest			(612	)
	Balance as of September 30, 2013		$	11,467
	-1	The noncontrolling interest balance at December 31, 2012 included a preliminary fair value of the noncontrolling interest acquired in 2012. The valuation was finalized and recorded during the nine months ended September 30, 2013.

Allowance_for_Uncollectible_Ac1

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Valuation And Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]	'
Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts Activity and Ending Balances	'
	The following table summarizes the activity and ending balances in the allowance for uncollectible accounts (amounts in thousands):
	Balance as of December 31, 2012	$	11,863
	Additions and expenses		9,833
	Deductions		(7,701	)
	Balance as of September 30, 2013	$	13,995

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Segment Information	'
	The following tables summarize the Company’s segment information for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 (amounts in thousands):
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Home-			Facility-			Total
		Based			Based
		Services			Services
	Net service revenue	$	146,910		$	17,838		$	164,748
	Cost of service revenue		87,082			10,884			97,966
	Provision for bad debts		2,651			57			2,708
	General and administrative expenses		47,969			5,078			53,047
	Operating income		9,208			1,819			11,027
	Interest expense		(387	)		(43	)		(430	)
	Non-operating income		36			18			54
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest		8,857			1,794			10,651
	Income tax expense		3,422			360			3,782
	Net income		5,435			1,434			6,869
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		1,279			293			1,572
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	4,156		$	1,141		$	5,297
	Total assets	$	379,340		$	34,693		$	414,033
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2012
		Home-			Facility-			Total
		Based			Based
		Services			Services
	Net service revenue	$	140,256		$	18,670		$	158,926
	Cost of service revenue		80,579			10,655			91,234
	Provision for bad debts		2,669			318			2,987
	General and administrative expenses		47,110			5,354			52,464
	Other intangibles impairment charge		250			400			650
	Operating income		9,648			1,943			11,591
	Interest expense		(364	)		(41	)		(405	)
	Non-operating income		74			20			94
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest		9,358			1,922			11,280
	Income tax expense		3,213			175			3,388
	Net income		6,145			1,747			7,892
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		1,308			248			1,556
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	4,837		$	1,499		$	6,336
	Total assets	$	352,941		$	34,557		$	387,498
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Home-			Facility-			Total
		Based			Based
		Services			Services
	Net service revenue	$	435,441		$	57,562		$	493,003
	Cost of service revenue		254,924			33,299			288,223
	Provision for bad debts		8,796			1,037			9,833
	General and administrative expenses		142,908			15,919			158,827
	Operating income		28,813			7,307			36,120
	Interest expense		(1,404	)		(151	)		(1,555	)
	Non-operating income		115			69			184
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest		27,524			7,225			34,749
	Income tax expense		11,062			1,174			12,236
	Net income		16,462			6,051			22,513
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		4,094			1,046			5,140
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	12,368		$	5,005		$	17,373
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012
		Home-			Facility-			Total
		Based			Based
		Services			Services
	Net service revenue	$	419,847		$	55,895		$	475,742
	Cost of service revenue		240,347			32,964			273,311
	Provision for bad debts		7,626			769			8,395
	General and administrative expenses		137,902			16,411			154,313
	Other intangibles impairment charge		250			400			650
	Operating income		33,722			5,351			39,073
	Interest expense		(874	)		(98	)		(972	)
Non-operating income		77			31			108
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest		32,925			5,284			38,209
Income tax expense		11,641			1,065			12,706
Net income		21,284			4,219			25,503
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		4,826			637			5,463
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	16,458		$	3,582		$	20,040

Significant_Accounting_Policie3

Significant Accounting Policies - Percentage of Net Service Revenue Earned by Type of Ownership or Relationship with Operating Entity (Detail)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Equity Joint Ventures [Member]	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	48.10%	49.10%	48.90%	48.70%
Wholly-owned Subsidiaries [Member]	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	49.30%	48.10%	48.40%	48.50%
License Leasing Arrangements [Member]	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	1.80%	1.90%	1.90%	1.90%
Management Services [Member]	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	0.80%	0.90%	0.80%	0.90%

Significant_Accounting_Policie4

Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
	Times
	Group
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'
License Leasing Arrangements	100.00%
Number of Medicare home health resource groups	153
Number of days from date RAP paid to submit final Medicare bill	'60 days
Low utilization adjustment visits	5
Minimum percentage of Medicare reimbursement from inpatient care services that subjects individual programs to inpatient cap	20.00%
Determination period for hospice Medicare inpatient reimbursement cap	'12 months
Medicare credit risk for accounts receivable	60.00%
Reimbursement for initial episode of care	60.00%
Number of days from start of episode to submit final Medicare bill	'120 days
Reimbursement for subsequent episodes of care	50.00%
Minimum [Member]	'
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'
Equity Joint Ventures, Ownership	51.00%
Maximum [Member]	'
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'
Equity Joint Ventures, Ownership	91.00%

Significant_Accounting_Policie5

Significant Accounting Policies - Percentage of Net Service Revenue Earned by Category of Payor (Detail)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Medicare [Member]	'	'	'	'
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	80.30%	77.20%	79.80%	77.90%
Medicaid [Member]	'	'	'	'
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	1.30%	1.70%	1.40%	1.90%
Other [Member]	'	'	'	'
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	18.40%	21.10%	18.80%	20.20%

Significant_Accounting_Policie6

Significant Accounting Policies - Percentage of Net Service Revenue Contributed from each Reporting Segment (Detail) (Sales Revenue, Segment [Member])	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Home-based services [Member]	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	89.20%	88.30%	88.30%	88.30%
Facility-based services [Member]	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	10.80%	11.70%	11.70%	11.70%

Significant_Accounting_Policie7

Significant Accounting Policies - Shares used in Computation of Basic and Diluted Per Share Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Weighted average shares outstanding:	'	'	'	'
Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation	17,083,201	17,656,842	17,035,541	18,121,217
Effect of dilutive potential shares:	'	'	'	'
Options	4,208	1,935	4,032	1,849
Nonvested stock	94,604	68,042	70,102	37,423
Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation	17,182,013	17,726,819	17,109,675	18,160,489
Anti-dilutive shares	94,299	176,641	181,648	348,595

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Add

Acquisitions and Disposals - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
	Joint_Ventures
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Total purchase price for acquisitions	$27,300,000
Acquisition price paid in cash	26,920,000
Acquisition paid in assumed liabilities	380,000
Noncontrolling goodwill	622,000
Purchase price to acquire additional ownership interests in joint ventures	1,900,000
Number of joint ventures in which additional ownership interests were acquired	6
Decrease in noncontrolling interest redeemable	612,000
Reduction in additional paid in capital as a result of the purchase of additional ownership interests	1,300,000
Noncompete Agreements [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Life of the non-compete agreements	'2 years
Noncompete Agreements [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Life of the non-compete agreements	'5 years
Home health agencies [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Number of entities acquired	19
Number of additional entities acquired	4
Hospice agency [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Number of entities acquired	1
Number of additional entities acquired	1
General and Administrative Expense [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Acquisition-related costs	569,000
Home-based services segment [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Goodwill Recognized	25,700,000
Noncontrolling goodwill	$622,000

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Sch

Acquisitions and Disposals - Schedule of Acquired Entities (Detail)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
LHCG XXXVII, LLC (d/b/a Addus HealthCare) [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Ownership Percentage	90.00%
State of Operations	'Illinois
Acquisition Date	1-Mar-13
LHCG XXXVIII, LLC (d/b/a Addus HealthCare) [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Ownership Percentage	90.00%
State of Operations	'California
Acquisition Date	1-Mar-13
LHCG XLII, LLC (d/b/a/ Arkansas HomeCare) [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Arkansas
Acquisition Date	1-Mar-13
LHCG XLI, LLC (d/b/a South Carolina HomeCare) [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'South Carolina
Acquisition Date	1-Mar-13
LHCG XXXIX, LLC (d/b/a Addus HealthCare) [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Nevada
Acquisition Date	1-Mar-13
LHCG XXXIV, LLC (d/b/a Alabama Hospice Care of Mobile) [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Alabama
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-13
LHCG XL, LLC (d/b/a Georgia Home Health) [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Georgia
Acquisition Date	1-Jul-13
LHCG XXVII, LLC (d/b/a Pennsylvania Home Health) [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Pennsylvania
Acquisition Date	1-Jul-13
LHCG XLVIII, LLC (d/b/a Minnesota Home Health) [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Minnesota
Acquisition Date	1-Jul-13
LHCG XLVII, LLC (d/b/a Wisconsin Home Health) [Member]	'
Business Combination Summary Of Acquisition [Abstract]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Wisconsin
Acquisition Date	1-Jul-13

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Sch1

Acquisitions and Disposals - Schedule of Aggregate Consideration Paid and Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013
Consideration	'
Cash	$26,920
Fair value of total consideration transferred	26,920
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'
Other assets and (liabilities),net	-321
Total identifiable assets	1,785
Noncontrolling interest	608
Goodwill, including noncontrolling interest of $622	25,743
Trade Name [Member]	'
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, Intangible Assets	1,177
Certificate of need/license [Member]	'
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, Intangible Assets	598
Other identifiable intangible assets [Member]	'
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, Intangible Assets	$331

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Sch2

Acquisitions and Disposals - Schedule of Aggregate Consideration Paid and Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
Noncontrolling goodwill	$622

Goodwill_and_Intangibles_Chang

Goodwill and Intangibles - Changes in Goodwill by Segment (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
		Home-based services segment [Member]	Facility-based services segment [Member]	Facility-based services segment [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Balance at beginning of period	$169,150	$157,559	$11,591	$11,591
Goodwill from acquisitions	25,743	25,121	'	'
Goodwill related to noncontrolling interest	622	622	'	'
Balance at end of period	$194,893	$183,302	$11,591	$11,591

Goodwill_and_Intangibles_Sched

Goodwill and Intangibles - Schedule of Changes in Intangible Assets (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013
Finite And Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Balance as of December 31, 2012	$62,042
Additions	2,106
Amortization	-949
Balance as of September 30, 2013	63,199
Trade Name [Member]	'
Finite And Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Balance as of December 31, 2012	51,408
Additions	1,177
Amortization	-569
Balance as of September 30, 2013	52,016
Other Intangible Assets [Member]	'
Finite And Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Balance as of December 31, 2012	534
Additions	331
Amortization	-380
Balance as of September 30, 2013	485
Certificate of need/license [Member]	'
Finite And Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Balance as of December 31, 2012	10,100
Additions	598
Balance as of September 30, 2013	$10,698

Goodwill_and_Intangibles_Addit

Goodwill and Intangibles - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Intangible assets net of accumulated amortization	'	$63,199,000	'	$62,042,000
Impairment of goodwill	'	0	'	'
Impairment of intangible assets	650,000	'	650,000	'
Home-based services [Member]	'	'	'	'
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Intangible assets net of accumulated amortization	'	62,100,000	'	'
Impairment of intangible assets	250,000	'	250,000	'
Facility-based services [Member]	'	'	'	'
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Intangible assets net of accumulated amortization	'	1,100,000	'	'
Impairment of intangible assets	$400,000	'	$400,000	'

Credit_Facility_Additional_Inf

Credit Facility - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]	'	'
Line of credit facility drawn	$24,000,000	$19,500,000
Letter of credit outstanding	$6,200,000	$6,000,000
Line of credit facility Interest rate	4.25%	'

Income_Taxes_Additional_Inform

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Income Taxes Textual [Abstract]	'
Tax payable as an unrecognized tax benefit	$3.40

Stockholders_Equity_Additional

Stockholder's Equity - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Stockholders Equity Textual [Abstract]	'	'	'
Common stock reserved and available for issuance	'	1,500,000	'
Percentage of directors' stock grant vested on one year anniversary date	'	100.00%	'
Period of Vested Shares	'	'5 years	'
Granted, Weighted average grant date fair value	'	$21.21	'
Share based award, settled in cash	'	$2,700	'
Share based payment description	'	'The amount of cash payment will equal the fair market value of 2,700 shares on the settlement date	'
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested shares of common stock granted	'	8,500,000	'
Weighted average period of cost recognized	'	'3 years 3 months 11 days	'
Total fair value of shares of common stock vested	'	3,800,000	3,500,000
Compensation expense related to nonvested stock grants	'	2,900,000	3,400,000
Price of shares issued under Employee Stock Purchase Plan as a percentage of FMV	'	95.00%	'
Number of shares reserved for the Employee Stock Purchase Plan	'	250,000	'
Additional shares authorized for issuance	'	250,000	'
Stock options issued and exercisable	'	15,000	'
Options exercised	'	0	'
Options forfeited	'	0	'
Options granted	'	0	'
Shares redeemed to satisfy personal tax obligations	'	37,353	'
Values of shares redeemed to satisfy personal tax obligations	'	794,000	'
Total amount authorized for repurchase under Company's Stock Repurchase Program	50,000,000	'	'
Number of shares of common stock repurchased during period	'	0	'
Number of shares of common stock reissued from treasury shares	'	0	'
Remaining amount authorized for repurchase under Company's Stock Repurchase Program	'	$22,500,000	'
Director [Member]	'	'	'
Stockholders Equity Textual [Abstract]	'	'	'
Non vested stock grants to Independent director	'	24,300	'
Director Period of Vested Shares	'	'1 year	'
Employee [Member]	'	'	'
Stockholders Equity Textual [Abstract]	'	'	'
Nonvested stock grants to employees	'	181,648	'
Employee Purchase Plan [Member]	'	'	'
Stockholders Equity Textual [Abstract]	'	'	'
Additional shares authorized for issuance	'	250,000	'

Stockholders_Equity_Nonvested_

Stockholder's Equity - Non-vested Stock Activity (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]	'
Nonvested shares outstanding, Number of Shares, Beginning Balance	486,061
Granted, Number of Shares	205,948
Vested, Number of Shares	-175,721
Nonvested shares outstanding, Number of Shares, Ending Balance	516,288
Nonvested shares outstanding, Weighted average grant date fair value, Beginning Balance	$22.33
Granted, Weighted average grant date fair value	$21.21
Vested, Weighted average grant date fair value	$21.82
Nonvested shares outstanding, Weighted average grant date fair value, Ending Balance	$22.05

Stockholders_Equity_Shares_of_

Stockholder's Equity - Shares of Common Stock Issued During 2013 Under Employee Stock Purchase Plan (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013
Shares Held In Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Shares available, Beginning balance	'	'	61,247	61,247
Additional shares authorized for issuance	'	'	'	250,000
Shares issued during period	9,600	10,385	8,845	'
Shares available, Ending Balance	282,417	'	'	282,417
Shares issued during period, Per share price	$18.60	$20.43	$20.24	'

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Period of joint venture buy/sell option	'30 days

Noncontrolling_interest_Summar

Non-controlling interest - Summary of Activity of Non-controlling Interest-redeemable (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]	'
Noncontrolling interest-redeemable, Beginning balance	$11,426
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable	4,241
Noncontrolling interest-redeemable distributions	-5,538
Transfer of noncontrolling interest	1,342
Acquired noncontrolling interest	608
Purchase of additional controlling interest	-612
Noncontrolling interest-redeemable, Ending balance	$11,467

Allowance_for_Uncollectible_Ac2

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts - Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts Activity and Ending Balances (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Allowance For Uncollectible Accounts [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Beginning balance	'	'	$11,863	'
Additions and expenses	2,708	2,987	9,833	8,395
Deductions	'	'	-7,701	'
Ending balance	$13,995	'	$13,995	'

Segment_Information_Additional

Segment Information - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Other intangibles impairment charge	$650,000	$650,000
Facility-based services [Member]	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Other intangibles impairment charge	400,000	400,000
Income tax expense reclassification	162,400	162,400
Reduction of assets	$400,000	$400,000

Segment_Information_Segment_In

Segment Information - Segment Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Net service revenue	$164,748	$158,926	$493,003	$475,742	'
Cost of service revenue	97,966	91,234	288,223	273,311	'
Provision for bad debts	2,708	2,987	9,833	8,395	'
General and administrative expenses	53,047	52,464	158,827	154,313	'
Other intangibles impairment charge	'	650	'	650	'
Operating income	11,027	11,591	36,120	39,073	'
Interest expense	-430	-405	-1,555	-972	'
Non-operating income	54	94	184	108	'
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	10,651	11,280	34,749	38,209	'
Income tax expense	3,782	3,388	12,236	12,706	'
Net income	6,869	7,892	22,513	25,503	'
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,572	1,556	5,140	5,463	'
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholders	5,297	6,336	17,373	20,040	'
Total assets	414,033	387,498	414,033	387,498	386,894
Home-based services [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Net service revenue	146,910	140,256	435,441	419,847	'
Cost of service revenue	87,082	80,579	254,924	240,347	'
Provision for bad debts	2,651	2,669	8,796	7,626	'
General and administrative expenses	47,969	47,110	142,908	137,902	'
Other intangibles impairment charge	'	250	'	250	'
Operating income	9,208	9,648	28,813	33,722	'
Interest expense	-387	-364	-1,404	-874	'
Non-operating income	36	74	115	77	'
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	8,857	9,358	27,524	32,925	'
Income tax expense	3,422	3,213	11,062	11,641	'
Net income	5,435	6,145	16,462	21,284	'
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,279	1,308	4,094	4,826	'
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholders	4,156	4,837	12,368	16,458	'
Total assets	379,340	352,941	379,340	352,941	'
Facility-based services [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Net service revenue	17,838	18,670	57,562	55,895	'
Cost of service revenue	10,884	10,655	33,299	32,964	'
Provision for bad debts	57	318	1,037	769	'
General and administrative expenses	5,078	5,354	15,919	16,411	'
Other intangibles impairment charge	'	400	'	400	'
Operating income	1,819	1,943	7,307	5,351	'
Interest expense	-43	-41	-151	-98	'
Non-operating income	18	20	69	31	'
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	1,794	1,922	7,225	5,284	'
Income tax expense	360	175	1,174	1,065	'
Net income	1,434	1,747	6,051	4,219	'
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	293	248	1,046	637	'
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholders	1,141	1,499	5,005	3,582	'
Total assets	$34,693	$34,557	$34,693	$34,557	'