LHC (LHCG) 10-Q 6 Nov 14 2014 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Nov. 06, 2014
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-14	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
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	'	17,798,483

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash	$4,876	$14,014
Receivables:	'	'
Patient accounts receivable, less allowance for uncollectible accounts of $17,463 and $14,334, respectively	99,652	88,964
Other receivables	828	608
Amounts due from governmental entities	990	1,234
Total receivables, net	101,470	90,806
Deferred income taxes	11,152	9,251
Prepaid income taxes	0	4,069
Prepaid expenses	8,160	6,966
Other current assets	4,205	4,449
Receivable due from insurance carrier	7,850	0
Total current assets	137,713	129,555
Property, building and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $46,022 and $40,935, respectively	33,798	31,052
Goodwill	242,218	194,893
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $6,020 and $4,518, respectively	79,988	62,184
Other assets	1,914	4,542
Total assets	495,631	422,226
Current liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities	19,959	17,217
Salaries, wages, and benefits payable	30,946	31,927
Self-insurance reserve	6,858	5,862
Current portion of long-term debt	247	249
Amounts due to governmental entities	4,242	4,391
Legal settlement payable	7,850	0
Total current liabilities	70,102	59,646
Deferred income taxes	31,483	29,060
Income tax payable	3,415	3,415
Revolving credit facility	64,000	22,000
Long-term debt, less current portion	818	963
Total liabilities	169,818	115,084
Noncontrolling interest — redeemable	11,001	11,258
LHC Group, Inc. stockholders’ equity:	'	'
Common stock — $0.01 par value; 40,000,000 shares authorized; 22,002,988 and 21,801,634 shares issued in 2014 and 2013, respectively	220	218
Treasury stock — 4,733,432 and 4,693,647 shares at cost, respectively	-35,638	-34,715
Additional paid-in capital	107,497	103,972
Retained earnings	239,837	223,534
Total LHC Group, Inc. stockholders’ equity	311,916	293,009
Noncontrolling interest — non-redeemable	2,896	2,875
Total equity	314,812	295,884
Total liabilities and equity	$495,631	$422,226

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE1

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Patient accounts receivable, allowance for uncollectible accounts	$17,463	$14,334
Property, building and equipment, accumulated depreciation	46,022	40,935
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	$6,020	$4,518
Common stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, authorized	40,000,000	40,000,000
Common stock, issued	22,002,988	21,801,634
Treasury stock at cost, shares	4,733,432	4,693,647

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Income Statement [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Net service revenue	$187,713	$164,748	$540,261	$493,003
Cost of service revenue	113,122	97,966	321,983	288,223
Gross margin	74,591	66,782	218,278	204,780
Provision for bad debts	3,974	2,708	11,699	9,833
General and administrative expenses	58,432	53,047	172,658	158,827
Operating income	12,185	11,027	33,921	36,120
Interest expense	-643	-430	-1,861	-1,555
Non-operating income	235	54	159	184
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	11,777	10,651	32,219	34,749
Income tax expense	3,924	3,782	11,199	12,236
Net income	7,853	6,869	21,020	22,513
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,679	1,572	4,717	5,140
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$6,174	$5,297	$16,303	$17,373
Earnings per share — basic:	'	'	'	'
Earnings per share, basic (usd per share)	$0.36	$0.31	$0.95	$1.02
Earnings per share — diluted:	'	'	'	'
Earnings per share, diluted (usd per share)	$0.36	$0.31	$0.94	$1.02
Weighted average shares outstanding:	'	'	'	'
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic (shares)	17,260,078	17,083,201	17,213,648	17,035,541
Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted (shares)	17,356,916	17,182,013	17,289,554	17,109,675

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME1

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (Unaudited) (USD $)	Total		Common Stock	Treasury Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Retained Earnings	Noncontrolling Interest Non Redeemable
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Beginning balance, Amount at Dec. 31, 2013	$295,884		$218	($34,715)	$103,972	$223,534	$2,875
Beginning balance, Treasury Shares at Dec. 31, 2013	-4,693,647		'	-4,693,647	'	'	'
Beginning balance, Shares at Dec. 31, 2013	'		21,801,634	'	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'		'	'	'	'	'
Net income	17,228	[1]	'	'	'	16,303	925
Sale of noncontrolling interest	161		'	'	161	'	'
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	-359		'	'	-359	'	'
Noncontrolling interest distributions	-904		'	'	'	'	-904
Nonvested stock compensation	3,086		'	'	3,086	'	'
Issuance of vested stock	'		174,399	'	'	'	'
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax	-923		'	-923	'	'	'
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax, Shares	-39,785		'	-39,785	'	'	'
Excess tax benefits — vesting nonvested stock	64		'	'	64	'	'
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan	575		2	'	573	'	'
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Shares	'		26,955	'	'	'	'
Ending balance, Amount at Sep. 30, 2014	$314,812		$220	($35,638)	$107,497	$239,837	$2,896
Ending balance, Treasury Shares at Sep. 30, 2014	-4,733,432		'	-4,733,432	'	'	'
Ending balance, Shares at Sep. 30, 2014	'		22,002,988	'	'	'	'
[1]	Net income excludes net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable of $3.8 million during the nine months ending September 30, 2014. 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 (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]	'
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable	$3.80

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Operating activities:	'	'
Net income	$21,020	$22,513
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation and amortization expense	6,874	5,958
Provision for bad debts	11,699	9,833
Stock-based compensation expense	3,086	2,879
Deferred income taxes	522	480
Loss on sale of assets	21	17
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:	'	'
Receivables	-12,868	-18,462
Prepaid expenses and other assets	280	-1,114
Prepaid income taxes	4,005	4,262
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	-1,283	645
Net amounts due to/from governmental entities	95	-631
Net cash provided by operating activities	33,451	26,380
Investing activities:	'	'
Purchases of property, building and equipment	-4,872	-5,997
Cash paid for acquisitions, primarily goodwill and intangible assets	-73,194	-26,920
Net cash (used in) investing activities	-78,066	-32,917
Financing activities:	'	'
Proceeds from line of credit	72,000	64,500
Payments on line of credit	-30,000	-60,000
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	575	570
Proceeds from debt issuance	0	1,138
Payments on debt	-147	0
Noncontrolling interest distributions	-5,086	-6,286
Payment of deferred financing fees	-900	0
Excess tax benefits from vesting of stock awards	124	11
Redemption of treasury shares	-923	-794
Purchase of additional controlling interest	-359	-1,879
Sale of noncontrolling interest	193	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	35,477	-2,740
Change in cash	-9,138	-9,277
Cash at beginning of period	14,014	9,720
Cash at end of period	4,876	443
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:	'	'
Interest paid	1,827	1,523
Income taxes paid	$6,946	$18,123

Organization

Organization	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
Organization	'
	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 community based service agencies, hospice services and facility-based services, primarily through long-term acute care hospitals (“LTACHs”). As of September 30, 2014, the Company, through its wholly- and majority-owned subsidiaries, equity joint ventures and controlled affiliates, operated 348 service providers in 29 states within the continental United States.
	Unaudited Interim Financial Information
	The condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, and the related condensed consolidated statements of income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, condensed consolidated statement of changes in equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 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, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014.
	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, 2013 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 6, 2014, which includes information and disclosures not included herein.

Significant_Accounting_Policie

Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Significant Accounting Policies	'
	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 interim financial information includes 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 interim financial information includes entities in which the Company receives a majority of the entities’ expected residual returns and absorbs a majority of the entities’ expected losses, 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 interim financial information.
	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,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Wholly-owned subsidiaries	54.5	%	49.3	%	52.9	%	48.4	%
	Equity joint ventures	42.9		48.1		44.5		48.9
	License leasing arrangements	1.8		1.8		1.8		1.9
	Management services	0.8		0.8		0.8		0.8
		100	%	100	%	100	%	100	%
	All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the Company’s accompanying interim financial information. Business combinations accounted for under the acquisition method have been included in the interim financial information 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 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 and hospice agencies. 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 in, and does not have an obligation to absorb losses of, the entities that own the agencies and facilities or the right to receive the benefits from those entities.
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company reports net service revenue at the estimated net realizable amount due from Medicare, Medicaid and others for services rendered. The Company assesses the patient's ability to pay for their healthcare services at the time of patient admission based on the Company's verification of the patient's insurance coverage under the Medicare, Medicaid, and other commercial or managed care insurance program. All such payors contribute to the net service revenue of the Company’s home-based services, hospice 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, 2014 and 2013:
		Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
		September 30,				September 30,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Payor:
	Medicare	75.2	%	80.3	%	76.3	%	79.8	%
	Medicaid	1.7		1.3		1.4		1.4
	Other	23.1		18.4		22.3		18.8
		100	%	100	%	100	%	100	%
	The following table sets forth the percentage of net service revenue contributed from each reporting segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013:
		Three Months Ended				Nine months ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Home-based services	81.3	%	80.6	%	80.6	%	80	%
	Hospice services	9.1		8.6		9.1		8.3
	Facility-based services	9.6		10.8		10.3		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.
	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 subject to an inpatient cap and an overall Medicare payment cap. The 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. As of September 30, 2014, the Company recorded $1.1 million for estimated liabilities in amounts due to governmental entities, of which $0.6 million relates to the cap year ended October 31, 2014 and $0.5 million relates to the cap years ended prior to October 31, 2013.
	Facility-Based 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 based upon a predetermined fee schedule or an episodic basis, depending on the terms of the applicable contract. Accordingly, the Company recognizes revenue from managed care and other payors in the same manner as the Company recognizes revenue from Medicare or Medicaid.
	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 58% 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 services to the Medicare population are paid at prospectively set amounts 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 provide for payments based upon a predetermined fee schedule or an episodic basis, depending on the terms of the applicable contract. 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,
	2014		2013		2014		2013
Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation	17,260,078		17,083,201		17,213,648		17,035,541
Effect of dilutive potential shares:
Options	4,367		4,208		4,151		4,032
Nonvested stock	92,471		94,604		71,755		70,102
Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation	17,356,916		17,182,013		17,289,554		17,109,675
Anti-dilutive shares	3,500		94,299		173,360		181,648
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-8 Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360) Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity (“ASU 2014-8”) in April 2014. ASU 2014-8 changed the definition of discontinued operations by limiting discontinued operations reporting to disposals of components of an entity that represent strategic shifts that have (or will have) a major effect on a Company’s operations and financial results. ASU 2014-8 also requires additional disclosures for discontinued operations. ASU 2014-8 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014 and for interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted but only for disposals that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. The Company adopted this guidance during the three months ended June 30, 2014.
On May 28, 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-9, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, ("ASU 2014-9") which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. ASU 2014-9 will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. The new standard is effective for the Company on January 1, 2017. Early adoption is not permitted. The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company is evaluating the effect that ASU 2014-9 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company has not yet selected a transition method nor has it determined the effect of the standard on its ongoing financial reporting.

Acquisitions_and_Disposals

Acquisitions and Disposals	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
Acquisitions and Disposals	'
	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 44 home-based agencies and six hospice agencies during the nine months ended September 30, 2014. The Company maintains an ownership interest in the acquired businesses as set forth below:
	Acquired Businesses	Ownership			State of Operations		Acquisition
		Percentage					Date
	EAMC — Lanier Home Health	75	%		Alabama		2/1/14
	Lifeline Home Health	100	%		Kentucky		2/1/14
	Louisiana Hospice & Palliative Care of New Orleans	100	%		Louisiana		3/1/14
	West Virginia Home Health	100	%		West Virginia		4/1/14
	St. Joseph’s Hospice	100	%		West Virginia		4/1/14
	Northwestern Illinois Home Health	100	%		Illinois		4/1/14
	Deaconess-Lifeline Home Health	100	%		Kentucky		4/1/14
	Deaconess HomeCare	100	%		Mississippi		4/1/14
	Deaconess HomeCare	100	%		Tennessee		4/1/14
	Deaconess Hospice	100	%		Mississippi		4/1/14
	Elk Valley Health Services, LLC	100	%		Tennessee		4/1/14
	North Carolina Home Health	100	%		North Carolina		5/1/14
	Professional Nursing Services	100	%		North Carolina		5/1/14
	Life Care at Home	100	%		Massachusetts		9/1/14
	Life Care at Home of Tennessee	100	%		Tennessee		9/1/14
	Life Care at Home	100	%		Utah		9/1/14
	Life Care at Home	100	%		Arizona		9/1/14
	At Home Healthcare	100	%		Colorado		9/1/14
	Life Care at Home	100	%		Washington		9/1/14
	Each of the acquisitions was accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting, and, accordingly, the accompanying interim financial information includes the results of operations of each acquired entity from the date of acquisition.
	The total aggregate purchase price for the Company’s acquisitions was $74.7 million, of which $73.2 million was paid in cash. 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 $0.9 million in acquisition-related costs, which was recorded in general and administrative expenses.
	The Company’s home-based services segment recognized aggregate goodwill of $43.8 million for the acquisitions and hospice services segment recognized aggregate goodwill of $3.6 million. 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 (amounts in thousands):
	Consideration
	Cash	$	73,194
	Fair value of total consideration transferred	$	73,194
	Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
	Trade name	$	15,878
	Certificates of need/licenses	3,088
	Other identifiable intangible assets	448
	Accounts receivable	9,739
	Fixed assets	486
	Accounts payable	(1,170		)
	Other assets and (liabilities), net	(2,552		)
	Total identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed	$	25,917
	Noncontrolling interest	$	98
	Goodwill, including noncontrolling interest of $38	$	47,375
	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.
	The net service revenue of the Deaconess and Elk Valley acquisition from the acquisition date through September 30, 2014 was $35.1 million and contributed $0.7 million to net income. The following pro forma information presents the combined results of operations of the Company and Deaconess and Elk Valley for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 as if the acquisition occurred on January 1, 2013 (amounts in thousands, except earnings per share):
		Nine months ended September 30,
		2014				2013
	Net service revenue	$	557,802			$	547,210
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	16,118				18,120
	Earnings per share — basic	0.94				1.06
	Earnings per share — diluted	0.93				1.06
	The pro forma information presented above includes adjustments for (i) depreciation expense, (ii) amortization of identifiable intangible assets, (iii) income tax provision using the Company’s effective tax rate and (iv) estimate of additional costs to provide administrative costs for these locations. This pro forma information is presented for illustrative purposes only and may not be indicative of the results of operations that would have actually occurred. In addition, future results may vary significantly from the results reflected in the pro forma information.
	Sale of Membership Interest in Company’s Subsidiary
	During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company sold membership interests in one equity joint venture. The total sale price was $0.2 million.
	Purchase of Membership Interest in Company’s Subsidiary
	During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company purchased additional membership interests in two equity joint ventures. The total purchase price for the additional membership interests was $0.4 million, which resulted in the Company reducing additional paid in capital by the full purchase price.

Goodwill_and_Intangibles

Goodwill and Intangibles	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Goodwill and Intangibles	'
	Goodwill and Intangibles
	The changes in recorded goodwill by reporting unit for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
		Home-Based				Community				Hospice				Facility-Based		Total
		reporting unit				Based				reporting unit				reporting unit
						reporting unit
	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	173,574			$	265			$	9,463			$	11,591	$	194,893
	Goodwill from acquisitions	26,899				16,874				3,564				—		47,337
	Goodwill related to noncontrolling interests	38				—				—				—		38
	Goodwill related to disposal	(50		)		—				—				—		(50		)
	Balance as of September 30, 2014	$	200,461			$	17,139			$	13,027			$	11,591	$	242,218
	Intangible assets consisted of the following as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 (amounts in thousands):
		September 30, 2014
		Estimated useful life		Gross				Accumulated				Net
				carrying				amortization				carrying
				amount								amount
	Indefinite-lived assets:
	Trade names	Indefinite		$	59,893			—				$	59,893
	Certificates of need/licenses	Indefinite		13,610				—				13,610
	Indefinite-lived balance at end of period			$	73,503			—				$	73,503
	Definite-lived assets:
	Trade names	2 months — 5 years		$	8,214			$	(2,313	)		$	5,901
	Non-compete agreements	1 month — 3 years		4,269				(3,707		)		562
	Favorable leases	9 months — 3 years		22				—				22
	Definite-lived balance at end of period			$	12,505			$	(6,020	)		$	6,485
	Balance as of September 30, 2014			$	86,008			$	(6,020	)		$	79,988
		December 31, 2013
		Estimated useful life		Gross				Accumulated				Net
				carrying				amortization				carrying
				amount								amount
	Indefinite-lived assets:
	Trade names	Indefinite		$	46,707			—				$	46,707
	Certificates of need/licenses	Indefinite		10,540				—				10,540
	Indefinite-lived balance at end of period			$	57,247			—				$	57,247
	Definite-lived assets:
	Trade names	3 months — 5 years		$	5,625			$	(1,055	)		$	4,570
	Non-compete agreements	3 months — 2 years		3,830				(3,463		)		367
	Definite-lived balance at end of period			$	9,455			$	(4,518	)		$	4,937
	Balance as of December 31, 2013			$	66,702			$	(4,518	)		$	62,184
	Intangible assets of $74.0 million, net of accumulated amortization, were related to the home-based services segment, $5.0 million were related to the hospice segment, and $1.0 million were related to the facility-based services segment as of September 30, 2014.

Debt

Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Debt	'
	Debt
	Credit Facility
	On June 18, 2014, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with Capital One, National Association, which provides a senior, secured revolving line of credit commitment with a maximum principal borrowing limit of $225.0 million and a letter of credit sub-limit equal to $15.0 million. The Credit Agreement replaces the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with Capital One, National Association, dated August 31, 2012. The expiration date of the Credit Agreement is June 18, 2019. Revolving loans under the Credit Agreement bear interest at either a (1) Base Rate, which is defined as a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate in effect on such day plus 0.5% (b) the Prime Rate in effect on such day and (c) the Eurodollar Rate for a one month interest period on such day plus 1.0%, plus a margin ranging from 0.75% to 1.5% per annum or (2) Eurodollar rate plus a margin ranging from 1.75% to 2.5% per annum. Swing line loans bear interest at the Base Rate. The Company is limited to 15 Eurodollar borrowings outstanding at the same time. The Company is required to pay a commitment fee for the unused commitments at rates ranging from 0.225% to 0.375% per annum depending upon the Company’s consolidated Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement. The Base Rate at September 30, 2014 was 4.50% and the Eurodollar rate was 2.40%. As of September 30, 2014, the interest rate on outstanding borrowings was 2.40%.
	As of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively, the Company had $64.0 million and $22.0 million drawn and letters of credit totaling $7.1 million and $6.7 million outstanding under its credit facilities with Capital One, National Association.
	As of September 30, 2014, the Company had $153.9 million available for borrowing under the Credit Agreement with Capital One, National Association.
	Promissory Note
	On January 7, 2014, the Company entered into a promissory note with American Bank & Trust Company in an aggregate principal amount of $1.2 million. The promissory note matures on January 6, 2019. Principal payments of $20,000 are due monthly over a period of 60 months. The interest rate on the promissory note is a fixed rate of 4.50%.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	Income Taxes
	As of September 30, 2014, 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. On July 30, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued a notice of proposed adjustment asserting that a portion of the original tax deduction claimed by the Company associated with the settlement with the United States of America should be disallowed. The Company advised the IRS that it disagreed with the proposed adjustment. In October 2014, the IRS issued a 30-day letter, formally asserting their position. The Company intends to vigorously defend its original position of the deductibility of the full settlement amount on its 2011 tax return.

Stockholders_Equity

Stockholder's Equity	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Equity [Abstract]	'
Stockholder's Equity	'
	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 are 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, 2014, the Company’s independent directors were granted 26,900 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, 2014, employees were granted 172,545 nonvested shares of common stock pursuant to the 2010 Incentive Plan. The shares 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, 2014 was $23.59.
	The following table represents the nonvested stock activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2014:
		Number of		Weighted
		Shares		average grant
				date fair value
	Nonvested shares outstanding as of December 31, 2013	506,467		$	22.08
	Granted	199,445		$	23.59
	Vested	(175,862	)	$	21.94
	Forfeited	(2,890	)	$	24.56
	Nonvested shares outstanding as of September 30, 2014	527,160		$	22.15
	During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, an independent director of the Company received a share based award, which will be settled in cash at March 1, 2015. The amount of such cash payment will equal the fair market value of 2,600 shares on the settlement date.
	As of September 30, 2014, there was $9.0 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 3.25 years. The total fair value of shares of common stock vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 was $3.9 million and $3.8 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 $3.1 million and $2.9 million of compensation expense related to nonvested stock grants in the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, 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. In 2013, the Company adopted the Amended and Restated Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which reserved an additional 250,000 shares of common stock to the plan.
	The table below details the shares of common stock issued during 2014:
		Number of		Per share
		Shares		price
	Shares available as of December 31, 2013	272,788
	Shares issued during three months ended March 31, 2014	8,025		$	22.84
	Shares issued during three months ended June 30, 2014	9,887		$	20.96
	Shares issued during three months ended September 30, 2014	9,043		$	20.3
	Shares available as of September 30, 2014	245,833
	Stock Options
	As of September 30, 2014, 15,000 options were issued and exercisable. During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, 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, 2014, the Company redeemed 39,785 shares of common stock valued at $0.9 million, related to these tax obligations.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Commitments and Contingencies	'
	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 interim financial information.
	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-1609-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, as 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. 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. On June 16, 2014, following mediation, the parties entered into a Stipulation of Settlement. On August 5, 2014, the District Court entered an Order Preliminarily Approving Settlement and Providing for Notice and setting a final fairness hearing for December 11, 2014. If approved, as part of the settlement, the Company’s insurance carrier will fund the entire $7.9 million settlement amount. The Company’s balance sheet reflects the entire settlement in current assets as a receivable due from insurance carrier and correspondingly reflects the entire settlement in current liabilities as a legal settlement payable.
	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-2899-JTT-CMH. 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.
	On December 30, 2013, a related 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 of the Western District of Louisiana, styled McCormack v. Myers, et al., Case No. 6:13-cv-3301-JTT-CMH. The action was brought derivatively on the Company’s behalf and the Company was also named as a nominal defendant. Plaintiff generally alleges that the individual defendants breached their fiduciary duties owed to the Company and wasted corporate assets. Plaintiff also alleges that the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer caused false and misleading statements to be issued in violation of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder and that the Company’s Directors are control persons under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act. The complaint also alleges claims for insider selling, misappropriation of information and unjust enrichment against the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and the Company’s former President and Chief Operating Officer.
	On March 25, 2014, the McCormack derivative action was consolidated with the Plummer derivative action described above and stayed pending the conclusion of expert discovery in the related City of Omaha shareholder securities class action described above. The parties are presently discussing future case scheduling. The Company believes these claims are without merit and intends to defend this consolidated lawsuit vigorously. The Company cannot predict the outcome or effect of this consolidated 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 above described lawsuits could result in substantial financial penalties or awards against the Company. At this time, the Company cannot predict the ultimate outcome of these matters or the potential range of damages, if any.
	Joint Venture Buy/Sell Provisions
	Most of the Company’s joint ventures include a buy/sell option that grants to the Company and its joint venture partners the right to require the other 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. The Company has not received notice from any joint venture partners of their intent to exercise the terms of the buy/sell agreement nor has the Company notified any joint venture partners of its intent to exercise the terms of the buy/sell agreement.
	Compliance
	The 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, 2014
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]	'
Noncontrolling interest	'
	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 applicable joint venture 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, 2014 (amounts in thousands):
	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	11,258
	Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable	3,792
	Noncontrolling interest-redeemable distributions	(4,182		)
	Sale of noncontrolling interest	32
	Purchase of noncontrolling interest	101
	Balance as of September 30, 2014	$	11,001

Allowance_for_Uncollectible_Ac

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]	'
Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts	'
	Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts
	The following table summarizes the activity in the allowance for uncollectible accounts for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 (amounts in thousands):
	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	14,334
	Additions	11,699
	Deductions	(8,570		)
	Balance as of September 30, 2014	$	17,463

Fair_Value_of_Financial_Instru

Fair Value of Financial Instruments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	'
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments
	The carrying amounts of the Company’s cash, receivables, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair values because of their short maturity. The estimated fair value of intangible assets acquired was calculated using level 3 inputs based on the present value of anticipated future benefits. For the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the carrying value of the Company’s long-term debt approximates fair value as the interest rates approximates current rates.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Segment Information	'
	Segment Information
	During the first quarter of 2014, the Company had a change in the composition of segments due to the hospice services meeting the criteria of quantitative thresholds established by ASC 280, Segment Reporting. Prior-period segment data has been restated to reflect the newly reportable segment in which hospice services were previously included in home-based services.
	The Company’s reportable segments consist of home-based services, hospice services and facility-based services. Home-based services include home nursing services and community based 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.
	The following tables summarize the Company’s segment information for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 (amounts in thousands):
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2014
		Home-			Hospice			Facility-			Total
		Based			Services			Based
		Services						Services
	Net service revenue	$	152,648		$	17,071		$	17,994		$	187,713
	Cost of service revenue	91,506			10,431			11,185			113,122
	Provision for bad debts	3,753			269			(48		)	3,974
	General and administrative expenses	48,591			4,756			5,085			58,432
	Operating income	8,798			1,615			1,772			12,185
	Interest expense	(515		)	(64		)	(64		)	(643		)
	Non-operating income	190			35			10			235
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	8,473			1,586			1,718			11,777
	Income tax expense	3,034			521			369			3,924
	Net income	5,439			1,065			1,349			7,853
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,185			292			202			1,679
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	4,254		$	773		$	1,147		$	6,174
	Total assets	$	424,780		$	34,622		$	36,229		$	495,631
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Home-			Hospice			Facility-			Total
		Based			Services			Based
		Services						Services
	Net service revenue	$	132,739		$	14,171		$	17,838		$	164,748
	Cost of service revenue	78,307			8,775			10,884			97,966
	Provision for bad debts	2,333			318			57			2,708
	General and administrative expenses	44,002			3,967			5,078			53,047
	Operating income	8,097			1,111			1,819			11,027
	Interest expense	(348		)	(39		)	(43		)	(430		)
	Non-operating income	33			3			18			54
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	7,782			1,075			1,794			10,651
	Income tax expense	3,028			394			360			3,782
	Net income	4,754			681			1,434			6,869
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,077			202			293			1,572
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	3,677		$	479		$	1,141		$	5,297
	Total assets	$	351,804		$	27,536		$	34,693		$	414,033
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014
		Home-			Hospice			Facility-			Total
		Based			Services			Based
		Services						Services
	Net service revenue	$	435,588		$	49,361		$	55,312		$	540,261
	Cost of service revenue	258,173			29,479			34,331			321,983
	Provision for bad debts	10,475			467			757			11,699
	General and administrative expenses	142,747			13,994			15,917			172,658
	Operating income	24,193			5,421			4,307			33,921
	Interest expense	(1,489		)	(186		)	(186		)	(1,861		)
	Non-operating income	103			40			16			159
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	22,807			5,275			4,137			32,219
	Income tax expense	8,763			1,397			1,039			11,199
	Net income	14,044			3,878			3,098			21,020
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	3,329			828			560			4,717
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	10,715		$	3,050		$	2,538		$	16,303
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Home-			Hospice			Facility-			Total
		Based			Services			Based
		Services						Services
	Net service revenue	$	394,453		$	40,988		$	57,562		$	493,003
	Cost of service revenue	229,466			25,458			33,299			288,223
	Provision for bad debts	8,009			787			1,037			9,833
	General and administrative expenses	131,048			11,860			15,919			158,827
	Operating income	25,930			2,883			7,307			36,120
Interest expense	(1,268		)	(136		)	(151		)	(1,555		)
Non-operating income	94			21			69			184
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	24,756			2,768			7,225			34,749
Income tax expense	9,993			1,069			1,174			12,236
Net income	14,763			1,699			6,051			22,513
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	3,417			677			1,046			5,140
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	11,346		$	1,022		$	5,005		$	17,373

Supplemental_Cash_Flow_Informa

Supplemental Cash Flow Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]	'
Supplemental Cash Flow Information	'
	Supplemental Cash Flow Information
	During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, $2.6 million of licenses associated with the Company’s Point of Care technology were capitalized as additions to property, building and equipment upon placing associated equipment in service. These licenses were purchased during the twelve months ended December 31, 2010 and previously recorded in other assets on the balance sheet.

Significant_Accounting_Policie1

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
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 interim financial information includes 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 interim financial information includes entities in which the Company receives a majority of the entities’ expected residual returns and absorbs a majority of the entities’ expected losses, 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 interim financial information.
	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,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Wholly-owned subsidiaries	54.5	%	49.3	%	52.9	%	48.4	%
	Equity joint ventures	42.9		48.1		44.5		48.9
	License leasing arrangements	1.8		1.8		1.8		1.9
	Management services	0.8		0.8		0.8		0.8
		100	%	100	%	100	%	100	%
	All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the Company’s accompanying interim financial information. Business combinations accounted for under the acquisition method have been included in the interim financial information 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 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 and hospice agencies. 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 in, and does not have an obligation to absorb losses of, the entities that own the agencies and facilities or the right to receive the benefits from those entities.
Revenue Recognition	'
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company reports net service revenue at the estimated net realizable amount due from Medicare, Medicaid and others for services rendered. The Company assesses the patient's ability to pay for their healthcare services at the time of patient admission based on the Company's verification of the patient's insurance coverage under the Medicare, Medicaid, and other commercial or managed care insurance program. All such payors contribute to the net service revenue of the Company’s home-based services, hospice 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, 2014 and 2013:
		Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
		September 30,				September 30,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Payor:
	Medicare	75.2	%	80.3	%	76.3	%	79.8	%
	Medicaid	1.7		1.3		1.4		1.4
	Other	23.1		18.4		22.3		18.8
		100	%	100	%	100	%	100	%
	The following table sets forth the percentage of net service revenue contributed from each reporting segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013:
		Three Months Ended				Nine months ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Home-based services	81.3	%	80.6	%	80.6	%	80	%
	Hospice services	9.1		8.6		9.1		8.3
	Facility-based services	9.6		10.8		10.3		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.
	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 subject to an inpatient cap and an overall Medicare payment cap. The 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. As of September 30, 2014, the Company recorded $1.1 million for estimated liabilities in amounts due to governmental entities, of which $0.6 million relates to the cap year ended October 31, 2014 and $0.5 million relates to the cap years ended prior to October 31, 2013.
	Facility-Based 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 based upon a predetermined fee schedule or an episodic basis, depending on the terms of the applicable contract. Accordingly, the Company recognizes revenue from managed care and other payors in the same manner as the Company recognizes revenue from Medicare or Medicaid.
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 58% 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 services to the Medicare population are paid at prospectively set amounts 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 provide for payments based upon a predetermined fee schedule or an episodic basis, depending on the terms of the applicable contract. 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,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation	17,260,078		17,083,201		17,213,648		17,035,541
	Effect of dilutive potential shares:
	Options	4,367		4,208		4,151		4,032
	Nonvested stock	92,471		94,604		71,755		70,102
	Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation	17,356,916		17,182,013		17,289,554		17,109,675
	Anti-dilutive shares	3,500		94,299		173,360		181,648
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements	'
	Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
	FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-8 Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360) Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity (“ASU 2014-8”) in April 2014. ASU 2014-8 changed the definition of discontinued operations by limiting discontinued operations reporting to disposals of components of an entity that represent strategic shifts that have (or will have) a major effect on a Company’s operations and financial results. ASU 2014-8 also requires additional disclosures for discontinued operations. ASU 2014-8 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014 and for interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted but only for disposals that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. The Company adopted this guidance during the three months ended June 30, 2014.
	On May 28, 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-9, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, ("ASU 2014-9") which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. ASU 2014-9 will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. The new standard is effective for the Company on January 1, 2017. Early adoption is not permitted. The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company is evaluating the effect that ASU 2014-9 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company has not yet selected a transition method nor has it determined the effect of the standard on its ongoing financial reporting.

Significant_Accounting_Policie2

Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
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,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Wholly-owned subsidiaries	54.5	%	49.3	%	52.9	%	48.4	%
	Equity joint ventures	42.9		48.1		44.5		48.9
	License leasing arrangements	1.8		1.8		1.8		1.9
	Management services	0.8		0.8		0.8		0.8
		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, 2014 and 2013:
		Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
		September 30,				September 30,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Payor:
	Medicare	75.2	%	80.3	%	76.3	%	79.8	%
	Medicaid	1.7		1.3		1.4		1.4
	Other	23.1		18.4		22.3		18.8
		100	%	100	%	100	%	100	%
Percentage of Net Service Revenue Contributed from Each Reporting Segment	'
	The following table sets forth the percentage of net service revenue contributed from each reporting segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013:
		Three Months Ended				Nine months ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Home-based services	81.3	%	80.6	%	80.6	%	80	%
	Hospice services	9.1		8.6		9.1		8.3
	Facility-based services	9.6		10.8		10.3		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,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation	17,260,078		17,083,201		17,213,648		17,035,541
	Effect of dilutive potential shares:
	Options	4,367		4,208		4,151		4,032
	Nonvested stock	92,471		94,604		71,755		70,102
	Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation	17,356,916		17,182,013		17,289,554		17,109,675
	Anti-dilutive shares	3,500		94,299		173,360		181,648

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Tab

Acquisitions and Disposals (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Acquired Entities	'
	The Company maintains an ownership interest in the acquired businesses as set forth below:
	Acquired Businesses	Ownership			State of Operations		Acquisition
		Percentage					Date
	EAMC — Lanier Home Health	75	%		Alabama		2/1/14
	Lifeline Home Health	100	%		Kentucky		2/1/14
	Louisiana Hospice & Palliative Care of New Orleans	100	%		Louisiana		3/1/14
	West Virginia Home Health	100	%		West Virginia		4/1/14
	St. Joseph’s Hospice	100	%		West Virginia		4/1/14
	Northwestern Illinois Home Health	100	%		Illinois		4/1/14
	Deaconess-Lifeline Home Health	100	%		Kentucky		4/1/14
	Deaconess HomeCare	100	%		Mississippi		4/1/14
	Deaconess HomeCare	100	%		Tennessee		4/1/14
	Deaconess Hospice	100	%		Mississippi		4/1/14
	Elk Valley Health Services, LLC	100	%		Tennessee		4/1/14
	North Carolina Home Health	100	%		North Carolina		5/1/14
	Professional Nursing Services	100	%		North Carolina		5/1/14
	Life Care at Home	100	%		Massachusetts		9/1/14
	Life Care at Home of Tennessee	100	%		Tennessee		9/1/14
	Life Care at Home	100	%		Utah		9/1/14
	Life Care at Home	100	%		Arizona		9/1/14
	At Home Healthcare	100	%		Colorado		9/1/14
	Life Care at Home	100	%		Washington		9/1/14
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 (amounts in thousands):
	Consideration
	Cash	$	73,194
	Fair value of total consideration transferred	$	73,194
	Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
	Trade name	$	15,878
	Certificates of need/licenses	3,088
	Other identifiable intangible assets	448
	Accounts receivable	9,739
	Fixed assets	486
	Accounts payable	(1,170		)
	Other assets and (liabilities), net	(2,552		)
	Total identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed	$	25,917
	Noncontrolling interest	$	98
	Goodwill, including noncontrolling interest of $38	$	47,375
Summary of Unaudited Pro Forma Information in Combined Results of Operations	'
	The following pro forma information presents the combined results of operations of the Company and Deaconess and Elk Valley for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 as if the acquisition occurred on January 1, 2013 (amounts in thousands, except earnings per share):
		Nine months ended September 30,
		2014				2013
	Net service revenue	$	557,802			$	547,210
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	16,118				18,120
	Earnings per share — basic	0.94				1.06
	Earnings per share — diluted	0.93				1.06

Goodwill_and_Intangibles_Table

Goodwill and Intangibles (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Changes in Recorded Goodwill by Reporting Unit	'
	The changes in recorded goodwill by reporting unit for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
		Home-Based				Community				Hospice				Facility-Based		Total
		reporting unit				Based				reporting unit				reporting unit
						reporting unit
	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	173,574			$	265			$	9,463			$	11,591	$	194,893
	Goodwill from acquisitions	26,899				16,874				3,564				—		47,337
	Goodwill related to noncontrolling interests	38				—				—				—		38
	Goodwill related to disposal	(50		)		—				—				—		(50		)
	Balance as of September 30, 2014	$	200,461			$	17,139			$	13,027			$	11,591	$	242,218
Summary of Changes in Intangible Assets	'
	Intangible assets consisted of the following as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 (amounts in thousands):
		September 30, 2014
		Estimated useful life		Gross				Accumulated				Net
				carrying				amortization				carrying
				amount								amount
	Indefinite-lived assets:
	Trade names	Indefinite		$	59,893			—				$	59,893
	Certificates of need/licenses	Indefinite		13,610				—				13,610
	Indefinite-lived balance at end of period			$	73,503			—				$	73,503
	Definite-lived assets:
	Trade names	2 months — 5 years		$	8,214			$	(2,313	)		$	5,901
	Non-compete agreements	1 month — 3 years		4,269				(3,707		)		562
	Favorable leases	9 months — 3 years		22				—				22
	Definite-lived balance at end of period			$	12,505			$	(6,020	)		$	6,485
	Balance as of September 30, 2014			$	86,008			$	(6,020	)		$	79,988
		December 31, 2013
		Estimated useful life		Gross				Accumulated				Net
				carrying				amortization				carrying
				amount								amount
	Indefinite-lived assets:
	Trade names	Indefinite		$	46,707			—				$	46,707
	Certificates of need/licenses	Indefinite		10,540				—				10,540
	Indefinite-lived balance at end of period			$	57,247			—				$	57,247
	Definite-lived assets:
	Trade names	3 months — 5 years		$	5,625			$	(1,055	)		$	4,570
	Non-compete agreements	3 months — 2 years		3,830				(3,463		)		367
	Definite-lived balance at end of period			$	9,455			$	(4,518	)		$	4,937
	Balance as of December 31, 2013			$	66,702			$	(4,518	)		$	62,184

Stockholders_Equity_Tables

Stockholder's Equity (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Equity [Abstract]	'
Nonvested Stock Activity	'
	The following table represents the nonvested stock activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2014:
		Number of		Weighted
		Shares		average grant
				date fair value
	Nonvested shares outstanding as of December 31, 2013	506,467		$	22.08
	Granted	199,445		$	23.59
	Vested	(175,862	)	$	21.94
	Forfeited	(2,890	)	$	24.56
	Nonvested shares outstanding as of September 30, 2014	527,160		$	22.15
Shares of Common Stock Issued During 2014 Under Employee Stock Purchase Plan	'
	The table below details the shares of common stock issued during 2014:
		Number of		Per share
		Shares		price
	Shares available as of December 31, 2013	272,788
	Shares issued during three months ended March 31, 2014	8,025		$	22.84
	Shares issued during three months ended June 30, 2014	9,887		$	20.96
	Shares issued during three months ended September 30, 2014	9,043		$	20.3
	Shares available as of September 30, 2014	245,833

Noncontrolling_interest_Tables

Noncontrolling interest (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
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, 2014 (amounts in thousands):
	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	11,258
	Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable	3,792
	Noncontrolling interest-redeemable distributions	(4,182		)
	Sale of noncontrolling interest	32
	Purchase of noncontrolling interest	101
	Balance as of September 30, 2014	$	11,001

Allowance_for_Uncollectible_Ac1

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]	'
Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts	'
	The following table summarizes the activity in the allowance for uncollectible accounts for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 (amounts in thousands):
	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	14,334
	Additions	11,699
	Deductions	(8,570		)
	Balance as of September 30, 2014	$	17,463

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Segment Information	'
	The following tables summarize the Company’s segment information for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 (amounts in thousands):
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2014
		Home-			Hospice			Facility-			Total
		Based			Services			Based
		Services						Services
	Net service revenue	$	152,648		$	17,071		$	17,994		$	187,713
	Cost of service revenue	91,506			10,431			11,185			113,122
	Provision for bad debts	3,753			269			(48		)	3,974
	General and administrative expenses	48,591			4,756			5,085			58,432
	Operating income	8,798			1,615			1,772			12,185
	Interest expense	(515		)	(64		)	(64		)	(643		)
	Non-operating income	190			35			10			235
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	8,473			1,586			1,718			11,777
	Income tax expense	3,034			521			369			3,924
	Net income	5,439			1,065			1,349			7,853
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,185			292			202			1,679
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	4,254		$	773		$	1,147		$	6,174
	Total assets	$	424,780		$	34,622		$	36,229		$	495,631
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Home-			Hospice			Facility-			Total
		Based			Services			Based
		Services						Services
	Net service revenue	$	132,739		$	14,171		$	17,838		$	164,748
	Cost of service revenue	78,307			8,775			10,884			97,966
	Provision for bad debts	2,333			318			57			2,708
	General and administrative expenses	44,002			3,967			5,078			53,047
	Operating income	8,097			1,111			1,819			11,027
	Interest expense	(348		)	(39		)	(43		)	(430		)
	Non-operating income	33			3			18			54
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	7,782			1,075			1,794			10,651
	Income tax expense	3,028			394			360			3,782
	Net income	4,754			681			1,434			6,869
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,077			202			293			1,572
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	3,677		$	479		$	1,141		$	5,297
	Total assets	$	351,804		$	27,536		$	34,693		$	414,033
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014
		Home-			Hospice			Facility-			Total
		Based			Services			Based
		Services						Services
	Net service revenue	$	435,588		$	49,361		$	55,312		$	540,261
	Cost of service revenue	258,173			29,479			34,331			321,983
	Provision for bad debts	10,475			467			757			11,699
	General and administrative expenses	142,747			13,994			15,917			172,658
	Operating income	24,193			5,421			4,307			33,921
	Interest expense	(1,489		)	(186		)	(186		)	(1,861		)
	Non-operating income	103			40			16			159
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	22,807			5,275			4,137			32,219
	Income tax expense	8,763			1,397			1,039			11,199
	Net income	14,044			3,878			3,098			21,020
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	3,329			828			560			4,717
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	10,715		$	3,050		$	2,538		$	16,303
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Home-			Hospice			Facility-			Total
		Based			Services			Based
		Services						Services
	Net service revenue	$	394,453		$	40,988		$	57,562		$	493,003
	Cost of service revenue	229,466			25,458			33,299			288,223
	Provision for bad debts	8,009			787			1,037			9,833
	General and administrative expenses	131,048			11,860			15,919			158,827
	Operating income	25,930			2,883			7,307			36,120
	Interest expense	(1,268		)	(136		)	(151		)	(1,555		)
	Non-operating income	94			21			69			184
	Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	24,756			2,768			7,225			34,749
Income tax expense	9,993			1,069			1,174			12,236
Net income	14,763			1,699			6,051			22,513
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	3,417			677			1,046			5,140
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	11,346		$	1,022		$	5,005		$	17,373

Organization_Additional_Inform

Organization - Additional Information (Detail)	Sep. 30, 2014
	State
	ServiceProvider
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
Number of service providers operated	348
Number of states in which Company operates	29

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, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Wholly-owned subsidiaries	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	54.50%	49.30%	52.90%	48.40%
Equity joint ventures	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	42.90%	48.10%	44.50%	48.90%
License leasing arrangements	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	1.80%	1.80%	1.80%	1.90%
Management services	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	0.80%	0.80%	0.80%	0.80%

Significant_Accounting_Policie4

Significant Accounting Policies - Percentage of Net Service Revenue Earned by Category of Payor (Detail)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Medicare revenue	'	'	'	'
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	75.20%	80.30%	76.30%	79.80%
Medicaid revenue	'	'	'	'
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	1.70%	1.30%	1.40%	1.40%
Other revenue	'	'	'	'
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	23.10%	18.40%	22.30%	18.80%

Significant_Accounting_Policie5

Significant Accounting Policies - Percentage of Net Service Revenue Contributed from Each Reporting Segment (Detail) (Sales Revenue, Segment)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Home- Based Services	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	81.30%	80.60%	80.60%	80.00%
Hospice Services	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	9.10%	8.60%	9.10%	8.30%
Facility- Based Services	'	'	'	'
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of net service revenue	9.60%	10.80%	10.30%	11.70%

Significant_Accounting_Policie6

Significant Accounting Policies - Shares Used in Computation of Basic and Diluted Per Share Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Weighted average shares outstanding:	'	'	'	'
Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation	17,260,078	17,083,201	17,213,648	17,035,541
Effect of dilutive potential shares:	'	'	'	'
Options	4,367	4,208	4,151	4,032
Nonvested stock	92,471	94,604	71,755	70,102
Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation	17,356,916	17,182,013	17,289,554	17,109,675
Anti-dilutive shares	3,500	94,299	173,360	181,648

Significant_Accounting_Policie7

Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
	PeriodicRate
	Group
	time
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
Selected hospice, periodic rate used to calculate revenue	1
Number of hospice, periodic rates used to calculate revenue	4
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
Hospice cap liability	$1.10
Medicare credit risk for accounts receivable	58.00%
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	'
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'
Equity joint ventures, ownership	51.00%
Maximum	'
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'
Equity joint ventures, ownership	91.00%
Federal Cap Year Ended October 31, 2014	'
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'
Hospice cap liability for respective periods	0.6
Federal Cap Year Ended October 31, 2013	'
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'
Hospice cap liability for respective periods	$0.50

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Sch

Acquisitions and Disposals - Schedule of Acquired Entities (Detail)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
EAMC — Lanier Home Health	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	75.00%
State of Operations	'Alabama
Acquisition Date	1-Feb-14
Lifeline Home Health	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Kentucky
Acquisition Date	1-Feb-14
Louisiana Hospice & Palliative Care of New Orleans	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Louisiana
Acquisition Date	1-Mar-14
West Virginia Home Health	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'West Virginia
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
St. Joseph’s Hospice	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'West Virginia
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
Northwestern Illinois Home Health	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Illinois
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
Deaconess-Lifeline Home Health	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Kentucky
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
Deaconess HomeCare	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Mississippi
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
Deaconess Home Care 1	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Tennessee
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
Deaconess Hospice	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Mississippi
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
Elk Valley Health Services, LLC	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Tennessee
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
North Carolina Home Health	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'North Carolina
Acquisition Date	1-May-14
Professional Nursing Services	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'North Carolina
Acquisition Date	1-May-14
Life Care at Home	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Massachusetts
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14
Life Care at Home of Tennessee	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Tennessee
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14
Life Care at Home 1	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Utah
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14
Life Care at Home 2	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Arizona
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14
At Home Healthcare	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Colorado
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14
Life Care at Home	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	'Washington
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14

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, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Consideration	'	'
Cash paid for acquisitions, primarily goodwill and intangible assets	$73,194	$26,920
Fair value of total consideration transferred	73,194	'
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'	'
Accounts receivable	9,739	'
Fixed assets	486	'
Accounts payable	-1,170	'
Other assets and (liabilities), net	-2,552	'
Total identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed	25,917	'
Noncontrolling interest	98	'
Goodwill, including noncontrolling interest of $38	47,375	'
Certificates of need/licenses	'	'
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'	'
Certificates of need/licenses	3,088	'
Trade name	'	'
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'	'
Trade name	15,878	'
Other identifiable intangible assets	'	'
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'	'
Other identifiable intangible assets	$448	'

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Sch2

Acquisitions and Disposals - Schedule of Aggregate Consideration Paid and Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Noncontrolling interest	$98
Home health entity	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Noncontrolling interest	$38

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Sum

Acquisitions and Disposals - Summary of Unaudited Pro Forma Information in Combined Results of Operations (Detail) (Deaconess HomeCare, LLC, USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Deaconess HomeCare, LLC	'	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'
Net service revenue	$557,802	$547,210
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$16,118	$18,120
Pro forma earnings per share, basic (per share)	$0.94	$1.06
Pro forma earnings per share, diluted (per share)	$0.93	$1.06

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Add

Acquisitions and Disposals - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
	JointVenture
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'
Total purchase price for acquisitions	$74,700,000	'
Cash paid for acquisitions, primarily goodwill and intangible assets	73,194,000	26,920,000
Number of joint ventures in which ownership interest was sold	1	'
Proceeds from sale of additional ownership interests in joint ventures	200,000	'
Number of joint ventures in which additional ownership interests were acquired	2	'
Purchase price to acquire additional ownership interests in joint ventures	400,000	'
Home- Based Services	'	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'
Number of entities acquired	44	'
Goodwill Recognized	43,800,000	'
General and Administrative Expense	'	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'
Goodwill, including noncontrolling interest of $38	900,000	'
Hospice Services	'	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'
Number of entities acquired	6	'
Goodwill Recognized	3,600,000	'
Deaconess HomeCare, LLC	'	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'
Business acquisition, net revenues	35,100,000	'
Business acquisition, net income	$700,000	'
Minimum	'	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'
Estimated useful life	'2 years	'
Maximum	'	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'
Estimated useful life	'5 years	'

Goodwill_and_Intangibles_Sched

Goodwill and Intangibles - Schedule of Changes in Recorded Goodwill by Reporting Unit (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
		Home-Based reporting unit	Community Based reporting unit	Hospice reporting unit	Facility-Based reporting unit	Facility-Based reporting unit
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Balance at beginning of period	$194,893	$173,574	$265	$9,463	$11,591	$11,591
Goodwill from acquisitions	47,337	26,899	16,874	3,564	'	'
Goodwill related to noncontrolling interests	38	38	'	'	'	'
Balance at end of period	242,218	200,461	17,139	13,027	11,591	11,591
Goodwill, written-off related to sale of business unit	($50)	($50)	'	'	'	'

Goodwill_and_Intangibles_Summa

Goodwill and Intangibles- Summary of Changes in Intangible Assets (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Indefinite-lived assets, carrying amount	$73,503	$57,247
Definite-lived assets, gross carrying amount	12,505	9,455
Intangible assets, gross carrying amount	86,008	66,702
Definite-lived assets, accumulated amortization	-6,020	-4,518
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization ending balance	-6,020	-4,518
Definite-lived assets, net carrying amount	6,485	4,937
Intangible assets, net carrying amount	79,988	62,184
Certificates of need/licenses	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Indefinite-lived assets, carrying amount	13,610	10,540
Minimum	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Estimated useful life	'2 years	'
Maximum	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Estimated useful life	'5 years	'
Trade names	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Indefinite-lived assets, carrying amount	59,893	46,707
Definite-lived assets, gross carrying amount	8,214	5,625
Definite-lived assets, accumulated amortization	-2,313	-1,055
Definite-lived assets, net carrying amount	5,901	4,570
Trade names | Minimum	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Estimated useful life	'2 months	'3 months
Trade names | Maximum	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Estimated useful life	'5 years	'5 years
Non-compete agreements	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Definite-lived assets, gross carrying amount	4,269	3,830
Definite-lived assets, accumulated amortization	-3,707	-3,463
Definite-lived assets, net carrying amount	562	367
Non-compete agreements | Minimum	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Estimated useful life	'1 month	'3 months
Non-compete agreements | Maximum	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Estimated useful life	'3 years	'2 years
Favorable leases	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Definite-lived assets, gross carrying amount	22	'
Definite-lived assets, net carrying amount	$22	'
Favorable leases | Minimum	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Estimated useful life	'9 months	'
Favorable leases | Maximum	'	'
Finite And Infinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Estimated useful life	'3 years	'

Goodwill_and_Intangibles_Addit

Goodwill and Intangibles - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Intangible assets net of accumulated amortization	$79,988	$62,184
Home- Based Services	'	'
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Intangible assets net of accumulated amortization	74,000	'
Hospice Services	'	'
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Intangible assets net of accumulated amortization	5,000	'
Facility- Based Services	'	'
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Intangible assets net of accumulated amortization	$1,000	'

Debt_Additional_Information_De

Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)

9 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 18, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Jan. 07, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 18, 2014

Jun. 18, 2014

Jun. 18, 2014

Jun. 18, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 18, 2014

Jun. 18, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 18, 2014

Jun. 18, 2014

Promissory note

Promissory note

Minimum

Maximum

Federal funds rate

Eurodollar

Eurodollar

Eurodollar

Eurodollar

Base rate

Base rate

Base rate

Instruments

Minimum

Maximum

Minimum

Maximum

Debt Instrument [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Maximum principal borrowing amount

'

$225,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Letter of credit, sub-limit amount

'

15,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Credit facility scheduled to expire

18-Jun-19

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Line of credit facility interest rate

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

0.50%

1.00%

2.40%

1.75%

2.50%

4.50%

0.75%

1.50%

Line of credit facility, borrowing outstanding

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

15

'

'

'

'

'

'

Line of credit facility, description

'(a) the Federal Funds Rate in effect on such day plus 0.5% (b) the Prime Rate in effect on such day and (c) the Eurodollar Rate for a one month interest period on such day plus 1.0%, plus a margin ranging from 0.75% to 1.5% per annum or Eurodollar rate plus a margin ranging from 1.75% to 2.5% per annum. Swing line loans bear interest at the Base Rate.

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Commitment fee rates for unused commitments

'

'

'

'

'

0.23%

0.38%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Line of credit facility, interest rate at period end

2.40%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Line of credit facility drawn

64,000,000

'

22,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Letter of credit outstanding

7,100,000

'

6,700,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Available credit under agreement

153,900,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Promissory note aggregate principal amount

'

'

'

1,200,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Promissory note maturity date

'

'

'

'

6-Jan-19

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Promissory note principal payment

'

'

'

$20,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt instrument, term

'

'

'

'60 months

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Promissory note interest rate percentage

'

'

'

4.50%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Income_Taxes_Additional_Inform

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Tax payable as an unrecognized tax benefit	$3.40

Shareholders_Equity_Nonvested_

Shareholders' Equity - Nonvested Stock Activity (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]	'
Nonvested shares outstanding, Number of Shares, Beginning Balance	506,467
Granted, Number of Shares	199,445
Vested, Number of Shares	-175,862
Forfeited, Number of Shares	-2,890
Nonvested shares outstanding, Number of Shares, Ending Balance	527,160
Nonvested shares outstanding, Weighted average grant date fair value, Beginning Balance	$22.08
Granted, Weighted average grant date fair value	$23.59
Vested, Weighted average grant date fair value	$21.94
Forfeited, Weighted average grant date fair value	$24.56
Nonvested shares outstanding, Weighted average grant date fair value, Ending Balance	$22.15

Stockholders_Equity_Shares_of_

Stockholder's Equity - Shares of Common Stock Issued During 2014 Under Employee Stock Purchase Plan (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Shares available, Beginning balance	'	'	272,788
Shares issued during period (shares)	9,043	9,887	8,025
Shares available, Ending Balance	245,833	'	'
Shares issued during period (per share price)	$20.30	$20.96	$22.84

Stockholders_Equity_Additional

Stockholder's Equity - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Stockholders' Equity Note [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	$23.59	'
Share based award, settled in cash	2,600	'
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested shares of common stock granted	$9,000,000	'
Weighted average period of cost recognized	'3 years 3 months 1 day	'
Total fair value of shares of common stock vested	3,900,000	3,800,000
Compensation expense related to nonvested stock grants	3,100,000	2,900,000
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 granted	0	'
Shares redeemed to satisfy personal tax obligations	39,785	'
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax	$923,000	'
Share based payment description	'The amount of such cash payment will equal the fair market value of 2,600 shares on the settlement date.	'
Options forfeited	0	'
Director	'	'
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]	'	'
Non vested stock grants to Independent director	26,900	'
Director Period of Vested Shares	'1 year	'
Employee	'	'
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]	'	'
Nonvested stock grants to employees	172,545	'

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Settlement amount	$7.90
Period of joint venture buy/sell option	'30 days

Noncontrolling_interest_Summar

Noncontrolling interest - Summary of Activity of Noncontrolling Interest-Redeemable (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]	'
Noncontrolling interest-redeemable, Beginning balance	$11,258
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable	3,792
Noncontrolling interest-redeemable distributions	-4,182
Sale of noncontrolling interest	32
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	101
Noncontrolling interest-redeemable, Ending balance	$11,001

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, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Beginning balance	'	'	$14,334	'
Additions	3,974	2,708	11,699	9,833
Deductions	'	'	-8,570	'
Ending balance	$17,463	'	$17,463	'

Segment_Information_Segment_In

Segment Information - Segment Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Net service revenue	$187,713	$164,748	$540,261	$493,003	'
Cost of service revenue	113,122	97,966	321,983	288,223	'
Provision for bad debts	3,974	2,708	11,699	9,833	'
General and administrative expenses	58,432	53,047	172,658	158,827	'
Operating income	12,185	11,027	33,921	36,120	'
Interest expense	-643	-430	-1,861	-1,555	'
Non-operating income	235	54	159	184	'
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	11,777	10,651	32,219	34,749	'
Income tax expense	3,924	3,782	11,199	12,236	'
Net income	7,853	6,869	21,020	22,513	'
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,679	1,572	4,717	5,140	'
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	6,174	5,297	16,303	17,373	'
Total assets	495,631	414,033	495,631	414,033	422,226
Home- Based Services	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Net service revenue	152,648	132,739	435,588	394,453	'
Cost of service revenue	91,506	78,307	258,173	229,466	'
Provision for bad debts	3,753	2,333	10,475	8,009	'
General and administrative expenses	48,591	44,002	142,747	131,048	'
Operating income	8,798	8,097	24,193	25,930	'
Interest expense	-515	-348	-1,489	-1,268	'
Non-operating income	190	33	103	94	'
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	8,473	7,782	22,807	24,756	'
Income tax expense	3,034	3,028	8,763	9,993	'
Net income	5,439	4,754	14,044	14,763	'
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,185	1,077	3,329	3,417	'
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	4,254	3,677	10,715	11,346	'
Total assets	424,780	351,804	424,780	351,804	'
Hospice Services	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Net service revenue	17,071	14,171	49,361	40,988	'
Cost of service revenue	10,431	8,775	29,479	25,458	'
Provision for bad debts	269	318	467	787	'
General and administrative expenses	4,756	3,967	13,994	11,860	'
Operating income	1,615	1,111	5,421	2,883	'
Interest expense	-64	-39	-186	-136	'
Non-operating income	35	3	40	21	'
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	1,586	1,075	5,275	2,768	'
Income tax expense	521	394	1,397	1,069	'
Net income	1,065	681	3,878	1,699	'
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	292	202	828	677	'
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	773	479	3,050	1,022	'
Total assets	34,622	27,536	34,622	27,536	'
Facility- Based Services	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Net service revenue	17,994	17,838	55,312	57,562	'
Cost of service revenue	11,185	10,884	34,331	33,299	'
Provision for bad debts	-48	57	757	1,037	'
General and administrative expenses	5,085	5,078	15,917	15,919	'
Operating income	1,772	1,819	4,307	7,307	'
Interest expense	-64	-43	-186	-151	'
Non-operating income	10	18	16	69	'
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	1,718	1,794	4,137	7,225	'
Income tax expense	369	360	1,039	1,174	'
Net income	1,349	1,434	3,098	6,051	'
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	202	293	560	1,046	'
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	1,147	1,141	2,538	5,005	'
Total assets	$36,229	$34,693	$36,229	$34,693	'

Supplemental_Cash_Flow_Informa1

Supplemental Cash Flow Information - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]	'
Licenses capitalized pay for purchases of property, building and equipment	$2.60