LHC (LHCG) 10-K 11 Mar 15 2014 FY Annual report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 04, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-K
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Document Period End Date	31-Dec-14
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2014
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Trading Symbol	LHCG
Entity Registrant Name	LHC Group, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	1303313
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		17,804,620
Entity Public Float			$328

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:
Cash	$531	$14,014
Receivables:
Patient accounts receivable, less allowance for uncollectible accounts of $18,582 and $14,334, respectively	97,498	88,964
Other receivables	1,334	608
Amounts due from governmental entities	1,164	1,234
Total receivables, net	99,996	90,806
Deferred income taxes	11,381	9,251
Prepaid income taxes	3,093	4,069
Prepaid expenses	8,724	6,966
Other current assets	3,777	4,449
Receivable Due From Insurance Carrier	7,850	0
Total current assets	135,352	129,555
Property, building and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $44,683 and $40,935, respectively	34,787	31,052
Goodwill	240,019	194,893
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $6,560 and $4,518, respectively	79,685	62,184
Other assets	1,896	4,542
Total assets	491,739	422,226
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities	19,278	17,217
Salaries, wages and benefits payable	22,466	31,927
Self insurance reserve	6,559	5,862
Current portion of long-term debt	230	249
Amounts due to governmental entities	4,459	4,391
Legal Settlement Payable	7,850	0
Total current liabilities	60,842	59,646
Deferred income taxes	33,592	29,060
Income tax payable	3,415	3,415
Revolving credit facility	60,000	22,000
Long-term debt, less current portion	778	963
Total liabilities	158,627	115,084
Noncontrolling interest-redeemable	11,517	11,258
LHC Group, Inc. stockholders' equity:
Common stock - $0.01 par value: 40,000,000 shares authorized; 22,015,211 and 21,801,634 shares issued in 2014 and 2013, respectively	220	218
Treasury stock - 4,734,363 and 4,693,647 shares at cost, respectively	-35,660	-34,715
Additional paid-in capital	108,708	103,972
Retained earnings	245,371	223,534
Total LHC Group, Inc. stockholders' equity	318,639	293,009
Nonredeemable Noncontrolling Interest	2,956	2,875
Total stockholders' equity	321,595	295,884
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$491,739	$422,226

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS_Pa

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Patient accounts receivable, allowance for uncollectible accounts	$18,582	$14,334
Property, building and equipment, accumulated depreciation	44,683	40,935
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	$6,560	$4,518
Common stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	40,000,000	40,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	22,015,211	21,801,634
Treasury stock at cost, shares	4,734,363	4,693,647

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_INC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net service revenue	$193,371	$187,713	$188,867	$163,681	$165,280	$164,748	$166,302	$161,953	$733,632	$658,283	$637,569
Cost of service revenue									434,775	383,464	365,752
Gross margin	80,579	74,591	77,340	66,347	70,039	66,782	69,293	68,705	298,857	274,819	271,817
Provision for bad debts									15,780	13,929	11,875
General and administrative expenses									233,945	213,633	204,987
Impairment of intangibles and other									3,646	520	650
Operating income									45,486	46,737	54,305
Interest expense									-2,486	-1,995	-1,550
Non-operating income									-265	-263	-184
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests									43,265	45,005	52,939
Income tax expense									14,513	15,859	17,511
Income from continuing operations									28,752	29,146	35,428
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									6,915	6,804	7,988
Net Income Attributable to LHC Group Inc.'s Common Stockholders	$5,534	$6,174	$6,061	$4,068	$4,969	$5,297	$5,790	$6,286	$21,837	$22,342	$27,440
Earnings Per Share - Basic:
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.' common stockholders	$0.32	$0.36	$0.35	$0.24	$0.29	$0.31	$0.34	$0.37	$1.27	$1.31	$1.54
Earnings Per Share, Diluted [Abstract]
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.' common stockholders	$0.32	$0.36	$0.35	$0.24	$0.29	$0.31	$0.34	$0.37	$1.26	$1.30	$1.53
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding:
Basic	17,274,677	17,260,078	17,233,264	17,148,043	17,096,360	17,083,201	17,055,619	16,966,525	17,229,026	17,049,794	17,853,321
Diluted	17,419,423	17,356,916	17,277,224	17,268,716	17,228,499	17,182,013	17,127,017	17,073,543	17,315,333	17,132,751	17,899,195

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (USD $)	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Non-controlling Interest Non Redeemable [Member]	Total Equity [Member]	Non-Controlling Interest - Redeemable [Member]	Net Income (Loss) [Member]
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Balances, Amount at Dec. 31, 2011		$183	($6,216)	$95,964	$173,752	$3,051	$266,734	$11,348
Balances, Shares at Dec. 31, 2011		21,374,264	3,075,605
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net Income					27,440	595	28,035	7,393
Income from continuing operations	35,428								35,428
Acquired noncontrolling interest	1,636						1,636
Noncontrolling interest distributions						-1,249	-1,249	-7,195
Purchase of additional controlling interest				-189			-189	-120
Sale of noncontrolling interest				80			80
Nonvested Stock Compensation				4,390			4,390
Issuance of vested stock		154,323
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax	-672		-672				-672
Repurchase of Common Stock	-26,958						-26,958
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax, shares	-36,621		-36,621
Repurchase of common stock, shares	1,540,813
Excess tax benefits-vesting nonvested stock				-376			-376
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan		1		782			783
Shares Issued during Period (Shares)	50,185	50,185
Reclassification of common stock at par value	-32			-32
Balances, Amount at Dec. 31, 2012		216	-33,846	100,619	201,192	4,033	272,214	11,426
Balances, Shares at Dec. 31, 2012		21,578,772	4,653,039
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net Income					22,342	1,244	23,586	5,560
Income from continuing operations	29,146								29,146
Acquired noncontrolling interest								608
Noncontrolling interest distributions						-1,060	-1,060	-7,066
Purchase of additional controlling interest				-1,267			-1,267	-612
Nonvested Stock Compensation				3,886			3,886
Issuance of vested stock		184,403
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax			-869				-869
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax, shares	-40,608		-40,608
Excess tax benefits-vesting nonvested stock				-50			-50
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan		2		784			786
Shares Issued during Period (Shares)	38,459	38,459
Transfer of noncontrolling interest						-1,342	-1,342	1,342
Balances, Amount at Dec. 31, 2013	295,884	218	-34,715	103,972	223,534	2,875	295,884	11,258
Ending Balance, Treasury Shares at Dec. 31, 2013	-4,693,647
Balances, Shares at Dec. 31, 2013		21,801,634	4,693,647
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net Income					21,837	1,214	23,051	5,701
Income from continuing operations	28,752								28,752
Acquired noncontrolling interest	138						138	130
Noncontrolling interest distributions						-1,271	-1,271	-5,572
Purchase of additional controlling interest				-359			-359
Sale of noncontrolling interest				161			161
Nonvested Stock Compensation				4,094			4,094
Issuance of vested stock		177,272
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax			-945				-945
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax, shares	-40,716		-40,716
Repurchase of common stock, shares	0
Excess tax benefits-vesting nonvested stock				-60			-60
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan		2		780			782
Shares Issued during Period (Shares)	36,305	36,305
Balances, Amount at Dec. 31, 2014	$321,595	$220	($35,660)	$108,708	$245,371	$2,956	$321,595	$11,517
Ending Balance, Treasury Shares at Dec. 31, 2014	-4,734,363
Balances, Shares at Dec. 31, 2014		22,015,211	4,734,363

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_CAS

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Operating activities
Income from continuing operations	$28,752	$29,146	$35,428
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and Amortization Expense	9,571	8,325	7,806
Provision for bad debts	15,780	13,929	11,875
Stock-based compensation expense	4,094	3,886	4,390
Deferred income taxes	2,402	2,351	2,204
Impairment of intangibles and other	3,650	520	755
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:
Receivables	-16,372	-18,961	-4,497
Prepaid expenses and other assets	191	-749	1,780
Prepaid income taxes	911	3,299	18,855
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	-10,460	4,395	-4,288
Net amounts due to/from governmental entities	138	-226	464
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	38,657	45,915	74,772
Investing activities
Cash paid for acquisitions, primarily goodwill and intangible assets	-73,933	-26,920	-6,758
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0	33
Purchases of property, building and equipment	-8,105	-8,343	-8,415
Net cash (used in) investing activities	-82,038	-35,263	-15,140
Financing activities
Proceeds from line of credit	75,000	73,000	188,561
Payments on line of credit	-37,000	-70,500	-203,881
Excess tax benefits from vesting of restricted stock	124	18	0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock under ESPP	782	786	783
Proceeds from debt issuance	0	1,212	0
Payments on debt	-202
Noncontrolling interest distributions	-6,843	-8,126	-8,444
Payments of deferred financing fees	-852	0	0
Purchase of Additional Controlling Interest	-359	-1,879	-309
Sale of noncontrolling interest	193	0	80
Redemption of treasury stock to pay income tax	-945	-869	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0	-26,958
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	29,898	-6,358	-50,168
Change in cash	-13,483	4,294	9,464
Cash at beginning of period	14,014	9,720	256
Cash at end of period	531	14,014	9,720
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information
Interest paid	2,461	1,961	1,550
Income taxes paid	$11,781	$21,606	$8,645

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_CAS1

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Licenses capitalized pay for purchases of property, building and equipment	$2,700,000
Treasury Stock [Member]
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax	$945,000

Organization

Organization	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization	1. Organization
	LHC Group, Inc. (the “Company”) is a health care provider specializing in the post-acute continuum of care primarily for Medicare beneficiaries. The Company provides home-based services, primarily through home nursing agencies and community-based service agencies, hospice services, and facility-based services, primarily through long-term acute care hospitals. As of December 31, 2014, the Company, through its wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries, equity joint ventures and controlled affiliates, operated 340 service providers in 30 states within the domestic United States.

Summary_of_Significant_Account

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“US 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.
	The most significant estimates relate to revenue recognition, collectability of accounts receivable and impairment tests of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets. A description of the significant accounting policies and a discussion of the significant estimates and judgments associated with such policies are described below.
	Principles of Consolidation
	The consolidated financial statements include all subsidiaries and entities controlled by the Company. Control is defined by the Company as ownership of a majority of the voting interest of an entity. Third party equity interests in the consolidated joint ventures are reflected as noncontrolling interests in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
	The following table summarizes the percentage of net service revenue earned by type of ownership or relationship the Company had with the operating entity for the periods presented for the years ending December 31:
	Ownership type	2014		2013			2012
	Wholly owned subsidiaries	55	%	48.8	%		48.1	%
	Equity joint ventures	42		48.5			49.1
	License leasing arrangements	2		1.9			1.9
	Management services	1		0.8			0.9
		100	%	100	%		100	%
	All significant inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Business combinations accounted for as purchases have been included in the consolidated financial statements from the respective dates of acquisition.
	The following discussion describes the Company’s consolidation policy with respect to its various ventures excluding wholly owned subsidiaries:
	Equity Joint Ventures
	A majority of the Company’s equity joint ventures are structured as limited liability companies in which the Company typically owns a majority equity interest ranging from 51% to 91%. Each member of all but one of the Company’s equity joint ventures participates in profits and losses in proportion to their equity interests. The Company has one equity joint venture partner whose participation in losses is limited. The Company consolidates these entities as the Company has the obligation to absorb losses of the entities and the right to receive benefits from the entities and generally has voting control over the entities.
	License Leasing Arrangements
	The Company, through wholly owned subsidiaries, leases home health licenses necessary to operate certain of its home nursing and hospice agencies. As with wholly owned subsidiaries, the Company owns 100% of the equity of these entities and consolidates them based on such ownership.
	Management Services
	The Company has various management services agreements under which the Company manages certain operations of agencies and facilities. The Company does not consolidate these agencies or facilities, as the Company does not have an ownership interest and does not have an obligation to absorb losses of the entities or the right to receive the benefits from the entities other than management fees.
	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 programs. 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 years ending December 31:
	Payor	2014		2013			2012
	Medicare	75	%	79.8	%		77.9	%
	Medicaid	1.3		1.4			1.8
	Other	23.7		18.8			20.3
		100	%	100	%		100	%
	The percentage of net service revenue contributed from each reporting segment was as follows for the years ending December 31:
	Segment	2014		2013			2012
	Home-based services	80.8	%	80	%		80.5	%
	Hospice services	9.2		8.5			7.9
	Facility-based services	10		11.5			11.6
		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 this 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. Management estimates the impact of these payment adjustments based on historical experience and records this estimate during the period the services are rendered. The Company’s payment is also adjusted for geographic wage differences. In calculating the Company’s reported net service revenue from home nursing services, the Company adjusts the prospective Medicare payments by an estimate of the adjustments.
	Hospice Services
	The Company is paid by Medicare under a per diem payment system. The Company receives one of four predetermined daily or hourly rates based upon the level of care the Company furnished. The Company records net service revenue from hospice services based on the daily or hourly rate and recognizes revenue as hospice services are provided.
	Hospice payments are 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 programs 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 December 31, 2014, the Company recorded $0.8 million for estimated liabilities in amounts due to governmental entities.
	Facility-Based Services
	Long-Term Acute Care Services. The Company is reimbursed by Medicare for services provided under the long-term acute care hospital (“LTACH”) prospective payment system. Each patient is assigned a long-term care diagnosis-related group. The Company is paid a predetermined fixed amount intended to reflect the average cost of treating a Medicare patient classified in that particular long-term care diagnosis-related group. For selected patients, the amount may be further adjusted based on length-of-stay and facility-specific costs, as well as in instances where a patient is discharged and subsequently re-admitted, among other factors. The Company calculates the adjustment based on a historical average of these types of adjustments for claims paid. Similar to other Medicare prospective payment systems, the rate is also adjusted for geographic wage differences. Revenue is recognized for the Company’s LTACHs as services are provided.
	Medicaid, managed care and other payors
	The Company’s Medicaid reimbursement is based on a predetermined fee schedule applied to each service provided. Therefore, revenue is recognized for Medicaid services as services are provided based on this fee schedule. The Company’s managed care and other payors reimburse the Company in a manner similar to either Medicare or Medicaid. Accordingly, the Company recognizes revenue from managed care and other payors in the same manner as the Company recognizes revenue from Medicare or Medicaid.
	Management Services
	The Company records management services revenue as services are provided in accordance with the various management services agreements to which the Company is a party. As described in the management services agreements, the Company provides billing, management and other consulting services suited to and designed for the efficient operation of the applicable home nursing agency. The Company is responsible for the costs associated with the locations and personnel required for the provision of services. The Company is compensated based on a percentage of cash collections for one management service agreement and reimbursed for operating expenses plus a percentage of operating net income for two management service agreements.
	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. Because Medicare is the Company’s primary payor, the credit risk associated with receivables from other payors is limited. The Company believes the credit risk associated with its Medicare accounts, which represent 58.2% and 68.6% of its patient accounts receivable at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, 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 significant concentrations of receivables from any particular payor that would subject it to any significant credit risk in the collection of accounts receivable.
	The amount of 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 that 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 RAPs received for that episode will be recouped by Medicare from any other Medicare claims in process for that particular provider. The RAP and final claim must then be resubmitted. For subsequent episodes of care contiguous with the first episode for a particular patient, the Company submits a RAP for 50% instead of 60% of the estimated reimbursement.
	The Company’s Medicare population is paid at a prospectively set amount that can be determined at the time services are rendered. The Company’s Medicaid reimbursement is based on a predetermined fee schedule applied to each individual service we provide. The Company’s managed care contracts are structured similar to either the Medicare or Medicaid payment methodologies. Because of its payor mix, the Company is able to calculate its actual amount due at the patient level and adjust the gross charges down to the actual amount at the time of billing. This negates the need to record an estimated contractual allowance when reporting net service revenue for each reporting period.
	Business Combination
	The Company accounts for business combinations using the acquisition method. The assets typically acquired consist primarily of a Medicare license, trade names, certificate of need and/or a noncompete agreement. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed, if any, are measured at fair value on the acquisition date using the appropriate valuation method. The noncontrolling interest associated with joint venture acquisitions is also measured and recorded at fair value as of the acquisition date. The residual purchase price is recorded as goodwill. The operations of the acquisitions are included in the consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition.
	Goodwill and Intangible Assets
	The Company performs its annual impairment review of goodwill at November 30, and when a triggering event occurs between annual impairment tests. For 2014, the Company performed a qualitative assessment of goodwill and determined that it is not more likely than not that the fair values of its reporting units are less than the carrying amounts.
	The Company has not recognized any goodwill impairment charges in 2014, 2013 or 2012 related to the annual impairment testing; however, the Company did recognize a disposal of $0.2 million related to goodwill associated with the closure of underperforming locations.
	Included in intangible assets are definite-lived assets subject to amortization such as non-compete agreements and defensive assets, which are defined as trade names that are not actively used. Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, ranging from two to five years. The Company also has indefinite-lived assets that are not subject to amortization expense such as trade names, certificates of need and licenses to conduct specific operations within geographic markets. The Company has concluded that trade names, certificates of need and licenses have indefinite lives, because there are no legal, regulatory, contractual, economic or other factors that would limit the useful life of these intangible assets and the Company intends to renew and operate the certificates of need and licenses and use the trade names indefinitely. These indefinite-lived intangible assets are reviewed annually for impairment or more frequently if circumstances indicate impairment may have occurred. To determine whether an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired, the Company performs a qualitative assessment to support the conclusion that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is not impaired. Based on the results of that qualitative assessment, the Company may perform a quantitative test. The Company utilizes a relief-from-royalty method in its quantitative impairment test of trade names. Under this method, the fair value of the trade name is determined by calculating the present value of the after-tax cost savings associated with owning the trade names and, therefore, not having to pay royalties for use over its estimated useful life. The Company utilizes the cost approach in its quantitative impairment test for certificates of need and licenses. Under this method, assumptions are made about the cost to replace the certificates of need and licenses. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded an impairment charge related to indefinite-lived intangible assets of $2.0 million, $0.5 million and $0.7 million, respectively.  The Company recognized a disposal of $1.4 million related to other indefinite-lived intangible assets associated with the closure of underperforming locations.
	Due to/from Governmental Entities
	The Company’s LTACHs are reimbursed for certain activities based on tentative rates. The amounts recorded in due to/from governmental entities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets relate to settled and open cost reports that are subject to the completion of audits and the issuance of final assessments. Final reimbursement is determined based on submission of annual cost reports and audits by the fiscal intermediary. Adjustments are accrued on an estimated basis in the period the related services were rendered and further adjusted as final settlements are determined. These adjustments are accounted for as changes in estimates. Additionally, reimbursements received in excess of hospice cap amounts are recorded in this account.
	Property, Building and Equipment
	Property, building and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the individual assets. The estimated useful life of buildings is 39 years, while the estimated useful lives of transportation equipment, and furniture and other equipment range from 3 to 10 years. The useful life for leasehold improvements is the shorter of the lease term or the expected life of the leasehold improvement. Assets that are sold or retired are written off and any gain or losses are recorded in operating income. Routine repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
	Property, building and equipment are reviewed whenever events or changes in circumstances occur that indicate possible impairment. There were no impairments recognized during the periods ended December 31, 2014, 2013 or 2012.
The following table describes the Company’s components of property, building and equipment for the years ending December 31 (amounts in thousands):
	2014			2013
Land	$	543		$	673
Building and improvements	9,238			8,997
Transportation equipment	6,191			6,181
Fixed equipment	3,661			4,137
Office furniture and medical equipment	59,837			51,999
	79,470			71,987
Less accumulated depreciation	44,683			40,935
	$	34,787		$	31,052
Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $7.5 million, $6.9 million and $6.9 million, respectively, which was recorded in general and administrative expenses.
Noncontrolling Interest
The nonredeemable interest held by third parties in subsidiaries owned or controlled by the Company is reported on the consolidated balance sheets as noncontrolling interest as a component of stockholders’ equity. Redeemable interest held by third parties in subsidiaries owned or controlled by the Company is reported on the consolidated balance sheets outside of permanent equity. All noncontrolling interest reported in the consolidated statements of income reflects the respective interests in the income or loss after income taxes of the subsidiaries attributable to the other parties, the effect of which is removed from the net income attributable to the Company.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company grants restricted stock or restricted stock units to employees and members of its Board of Directors as a form of compensation. The expense for such awards is based on the grant date fair value of the award and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. See Note 7 to these consolidated financial statements.
Earnings Per Share
Basic per share information is computed by dividing the item by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period, under the treasury stock method. Diluted per share information is computed by dividing the item by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding plus dilutive potential shares.
The following table sets forth shares used in the computation of basic and diluted per share information for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:
	2014		2013			2012
Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation	17,229,026		17,049,794			17,853,321
Effect of dilutive potential shares:
Options	4,284		4,058			1,909
Nonvested restricted stock	82,023		78,899			43,965
Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation	17,315,333		17,132,751			17,899,195
Antidilutive shares	173,360		182,225			345,122
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 period within those years. Early adoption is permitted by only for disposals that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. The Company adopted this guidance during 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	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions and Disposals	3. Acquisitions and Disposals
	2014 Acquisitions
	Pursuant to the Company’s strategy for becoming the leading provider of post-acute health care services in the United States, the Company acquired 46 home-based agencies, 6 hospice agencies and 6 community-based services agencies during the twelve months ended December 31, 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
	Life Care at Home		100	%	Rhode Island		11/1/14
	Troy Regional Medical Center Home Health		54	%	Alabama		11/1/14
	Each of the acquisitions was accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting, and, accordingly, the accompanying 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 $75.5 million, of which $73.9 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 $1.0 million in acquisition-related costs, which was recorded in general and administrative expenses.
	The Company’s home-based services segment recognized aggregate goodwill of $40.0 million for the acquisitions and hospice services segment recognized aggregate goodwill of $5.3 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	$	73,933
	Fair value of total consideration transferred	73,933
	Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
	Trade name	13,950
	Certificates of need/licenses	8,615
	Other identifiable intangible assets	441
	Accounts receivable	8,667
	Fixed assets	495
	Accounts payable	(867		)
	Other assets and (liabilities), net	(2,456		)
	Total identifiable assets	28,845
	Noncontrolling interest	238
	Goodwill, including noncontrolling interest of $75	$	45,326
	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 following table contains unaudited pro forma consolidated income statement information assuming the 2014 acquisitions closed January 1, 2013 (amount in thousands, except earnings per share):
			2014			2013
	Net service revenue		$	771,750		$	760,669
	Operating income		46,230			47,399
	Net income		22,299			22,698
	Basic earnings per share		1.29			1.33
	Diluted earnings per share		1.29			1.32
	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.
	2013 Acquisitions
	The total aggregate purchase price for the Company’s acquisitions, which closed in the twelve months ended December 31, 2013, was $27.3 million, of which $26.9 million was paid in cash and $0.4 million in assumed liabilities. Purchase prices are determined based on an analysis of comparable acquisitions and the target market’s potential future cash flows. The company paid $0.6 million in acquisition-related costs, which was recorded in general and administrative expenses.
	The Company’s home-based services segment recognized aggregate goodwill of $23.2 million for acquisitions, including $0.6 million of noncontrolling goodwill and hospice services segment recognized aggregate goodwill of $2.5 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.
	During the twelve months ended December 31, 2013, the Company purchased membership interests in six of its equity joint ventures. The total purchase price for the additional ownership from these equity transactions was $1.9 million, resulting in the Company reducing noncontrolling interest-redeemable by $0.6 million and additional paid in capital by $1.3 million.

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangibles

Goodwill and Other Intangibles, Net	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Other Intangibles, Net	The following tables summarize the changes in intangible assets during the twelve months ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 (amounts in thousands):
		December 31, 2014
		Estimated useful life	Gross		Accumulated			Net
			carrying		amortization			carrying
			amount					amount
	Indefinite-lived assets:
	Trade names	Indefinite	$	54,732	$	—		$	54,732
	Certificates of need/licenses	Indefinite	19,058		—			19,058
	Indefinite-lived balance at end of period		73,790		—			73,790
	Amortizing assets:
	Trade names	2 months – 5 years	8,210		(2,797		)	5,413
	Non-compete agreements	3 months – 2 years	4,225		(3,763		)	462
	Favorable leases	6 months – 3 years	20		—			20
	Amortizing balance at end of period		12,455		(6,560		)	5,895
	Balance at December 31, 2014		$	86,245	$	(6,560	)	$	79,685
		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
	Amortizing assets:
	Trade names	8 months – 1 year	5,625		(1,055		)	4,570
	Non-compete agreements	2 months – 3 years	3,830		(3,463		)	367
	Amortizing balance at end of period		9,455		(4,518		)	4,937
	Balance at December 31, 2013		$	66,702	$	(4,518	)	$	62,184
	Intangible assets of $73.4 million, net of accumulated amortization, related to the home-based services segment, $5.3 million were related to the hospice segment and $1.0 million related to the facility-based services segment as of December 31, 2014.
	Disposal of Intangible Assets in Company’s Subsidiary
	During the twelve months ended December 31, 2014, the Company disposed of intangible assets for underperforming providers in the home-based segment. The loss on the disposal of these providers was $1.4 million, which was recorded in impairment of intangibles and other.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax	5. Income Taxes
	The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method. Under the asset and liability method, deferred taxes are determined based on differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse.
	Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
			2014				2013
	Deferred tax assets:
	Allowance for uncollectible accounts		$	6,397			$	5,127
	Accrued employee benefits		4,195				3,420
	Stock compensation		1,228				1,503
	Accrued self-insurance		2,526				2,257
	Acquisition costs		1,510				1,155
	Net operating loss carry forward		927				873
	Intangible asset impairment		49				55
	Uncertain tax position—state tax portion		215				215
	Uncertain tax position - interest expense		186				—
	Other		121				61
	Valuation allowance		(44		)		(44		)
	Deferred tax assets		$	17,310			$	14,622
	Deferred tax liabilities:
	Amortization of intangible assets		(29,370		)		(25,202		)
	Tax depreciation in excess of book depreciation		(7,994		)		(7,171		)
	Prepaid expenses		(697		)		(786		)
	Non-accrual experience accounting method		(1,459		)		(1,223		)
	Deferred state tax receivable		—				(49		)
	Deferred tax liabilities		(39,520		)		(34,431		)
	Net deferred tax liability		$	(22,210	)		$	(19,809	)
	Based on the Company’s historical pattern of taxable income, the Company believes it will produce sufficient income in the future to realize its deferred income tax assets. Management provides a valuation allowance for any net deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a portion of such net deferred tax assets will not be recovered.
	The components of the Company’s income tax expense from continuing operations, less noncontrolling interest, were as follows (amounts in thousands):
			2014				2013				2012
	Current:
	Federal		$	10,195			$	11,962			$	12,930
	State		1,916				1,546				2,377
			12,111				13,508				15,307
	Deferred:
	Federal		2,187				1,448				1,955
	State		215				903				249
			2,402				2,351				2,204
	Total income tax expense (benefit)		$	14,513			$	15,859			$	17,511
	A reconciliation of the difference between the federal statutory tax rate and the Company's effective tax rate for income taxes for each period is as follows:
			2014			2013			2012
	Federal statutory tax rate		35	%		35	%		35	%
	State income taxes, net of federal benefit		3.5			3.5			3.5
	Nondeductible expenses		2.3			3.1			2.2
	Credits and other		(0.9	)		—			(1.7	)
	Effective tax rate		39.9	%		41.6	%		39	%
	A reconciliation of the differences between income tax expense on net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc., computed at the federal statutory rate and provisions for income taxes for each period is as follows (amounts in thousands):
			2014				2013				2012
	Income taxes computed at federal statutory tax rate		$	12,723			$	13,360			$	15,733
	State income taxes, net of federal benefit		1,407				1,641				1,739
	Nondeductible expenses		766				1,022				844
	Other items		(99		)		101				40
	Income tax credits		(284		)		(265		)		(845		)
	Total income tax expense (benefit)		$	14,513			$	15,859			$	17,511
	The Company is subject to both federal and state income tax for jurisdictions within which it operates. Within these jurisdictions, the Company is open to examination for tax years ended after December 31, 2011.
	As of December 31, 2014, $3.4 million was recorded in income tax payable as an unrecognized tax benefit which, if recognized, would decrease the Company’s effective tax rate. A reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits follows (amounts in thousands):
	Total unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2013	$	3,415
	Increases (decreases) in unrecognized tax benefits as a result of:
	Tax positions taken during the current period	—
	Total unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2014	$	3,415
	The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in interest expense and general and administrative expenses, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company recognized $0.2 million , $0.2 million and $0.1 million in interest expense, respectively, and recorded an accrued liability of interest payments related to uncertain tax positions.

Debt

Debt	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	6. 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 December 31, 2014 was 4.25% and the Eurodollar rate was 2.17%. As of December 31, 2014, the interest rate on outstanding borrowings was 2.2%.
	As of December 31, 2014 the Company had $60.0 million drawn and letters of credit in the amount of $7.1 million outstanding under the credit facility. At December 31, 2013, the Company had $22.0 million drawn and letters of credit in the amount of $6.7 million outstanding under the credit facility.
	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. Interest rate related to the promissory note is 4.5%.
	The scheduled principal payments on long-term debt for each of the five years subsequent to December 31, 2014 is as follows (amounts in thousands):
	Year	Principal payment amount
	2015	$	230
	2016	60,241
	2017	252
	2018	264
	2019	21
	Total	$	61,008

Stockholders_Equity

Stockholders' Equity	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]	7. Stockholders’ Equity
	Stock Repurchase Program
	In October 2010, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a program to repurchase shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, from time to time, in an amount not to exceed $50.0 million (“Stock Repurchase Program”). The Company anticipates that it will finance the Stock Repurchase Program with cash from general corporate funds or draws under the credit facility. The Company may repurchase shares of common stock in open market purchase or in privately negotiated transactions in accordance with applicable securities laws, rules and regulations. The timing and extent to which the Company repurchases its shares will depend upon market conditions and other corporate considerations.
	The Company uses the cost method to account for the repurchase of common stock and the average cost method to account for reissuance of treasury shares. During 2014 and 2013, no shares were repurchased. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2012, the Company repurchased 1,540,813 shares of common stock at an aggregate cost of $27.0 million, including commissions, or an average cost per share of $17.52. The remaining dollar value of shares authorized to be purchased under the share repurchase program was $22.5 million at December 31, 2014.
	Equity Based Awards
	At the Company’s 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the stockholders of the Company approved the Company’s 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan (the “2010 Incentive Plan”). The 2010 Incentive Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”). 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. The Compensation Committee will determine the exercise price for non-statutory stock options, which cannot be less than the fair market value of our common stock as of the date of grant.
	In the event of a change of control as defined in the 2010 Incentive Plan, all restricted periods and restrictions imposed on non-performance based restricted stock awards will lapse and outstanding options will become immediately exercisable in full.
	Share Based Compensation
	Stock Options
	The following table represents stock options activity for the year ended December 31, 2014:
			Number of		Weighted		Average	Aggregate
			Shares		Average		Remaining	Intrinsic
					Exercise Price		Contractual	Value
							Term
	Options outstanding at January 1, 2014		15,000		$	16.88	2.0 years	$	107,475
	Options granted		—		—		—	—
	Options exercised		—		—		—	—
	Options forfeited or expired		—		—		—	—
	Options outstanding at December 31, 2014		15,000		$	16.88	1.0 year	$	—
	Options exercisable at December 31, 2014		15,000		$	16.88	1.0 year	$	214,575
	All options are fully vested and exercisable at December 31, 2014. There were no options granted and no compensation expense related to stock options grants recorded in the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 or 2012.
	Nonvested Stock
	The Company issues stock-based compensation to employees in the form of nonvested stock, which is an award of common stock subject to certain restrictions. The awards, which the Company calls nonvested shares, generally vest over a five year period, conditioned on continued employment for the full incentive period. Compensation expense for the nonvested stock is recognized for the awards that are expected to vest. The expense is based on the fair value of the awards on the date of grant recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which generally relates to the vesting period.
	During 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, 172,545, 198,243 and 187,140 nonvested shares were granted to employees pursuant to the 2010 Incentive Plan.
	The Company also issues nonvested stock to its independent directors of the Company’s Board of Directors. During 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, 26,900, 24,300 and 26,100 nonvested shares of stock were granted to the independent directors under the 2005 Director Compensation Plan. The shares issued under the 2005 Director Compensation Plan were drawn from the 1,500,000 shares reserved and available for issuance under the 2010 Incentive Plan. The shares fully vest one year from the date of the grant, except for grants provided to new directors, which vest one-third on the date of grant and one-third on each of the first two anniversaries of the grant date.
	The fair value of nonvested shares is determined based on the closing trading price of the Company’s shares on the grant date. The weighted average grant date fair values of nonvested shares granted during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $23.59, $21.45 and $19.02, respectively.
	The following table represents the nonvested stock activity for the year ended December 31, 2014:
			Number of		Weighted Average
			Shares		Grant Date Fair Value
	Nonvested shares outstanding at January 1, 2014		506,467		$	22.08
	Granted		199,445		23.59
	Vested		(180,115	)	22.05
	Forfeited		(1,510	)	23.38
	Nonvested shares outstanding at December 31, 2014		524,287		$	22.56
	As of December 31, 2014, there was $7.8 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested shares granted. That cost is expected to be recognized over the weighted average period of 3.11 years. The total fair value of shares vested in the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 was $3.9 million and total fair value of shares vested in the year ended December 31, 2012 was $3.7 million, respectively. The Company records compensation expense related to non-vested share awards at the grant date for shares that are awarded fully vested and over the vesting term on a straight line basis for shares that vest over time. The Company has recorded $4.1 million, $3.9 million and $4.4 million in compensation expense related to non-vested stock grants in the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan
	In 2006, the Company adopted the Employee Stock Purchase Plan allowing eligible employees to purchase the Company’s common stock at 95% of the market price on the last day of each calendar quarter. There were 250,000 shares reserved for the plan.
	On June 20, 2013, the Amended and Restated Employee Stock Purchase Plan was approved by the Company’s stockholders. As a result of the amendment, the Employee Stock Purchase Plan was modified as follows:
	•	An additional 250,000 shares of common stock were authorized for issuance over the term of the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
	•	The term of the Employee Stock Purchase Plan was extended from January 1, 2016 to January 1, 2023.
	The following table represents the shares issued during 2014, 2013 and 2012 under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan:
			Number of		Weighted Average
			Shares		Per Share Price
	Shares available as of January 1, 2011		111,432
	Additional shares authorized for issuance		250,000
	Shares issued in 2012		50,185		$	15.58
	Shares issued in 2013		38,459		$	20.39
	Shares issued in 2014		36,305		$	21.49
	Shares available as of December 31, 2014		236,483
	Treasury Stock
	In conjunction with the vesting of the non-vested shares of stock, recipients incur personal income tax obligations. The Company allows the recipients to turn in shares of common stock to satisfy those personal tax obligations. The Company redeemed 40,716, 40,608 and 36,621 shares of common stock related to these tax obligations during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Leases

Leases	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Leases [Abstract]
Leases	8. Leases
	In certain instances, state laws may prohibit the sale of a home nursing agency or hospitals may be reluctant to sell their home health agencies. In these instances, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, enters into a lease agreement for a Medicare and Medicaid license, as well as the associated provider number to provide home health or hospice services. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had three license lease arrangements to operate four home nursing agencies and three hospice agencies.
	One of the leases was entered into in 2007 and expires in 2017. Expense related to this lease was $0.2 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively. Payment due under this lease is $0.2 million in 2015.
	Two of the leases were amended during 2010 to extend the lease terms to one year with an automatic renewal clause of four years. Expense related to these leases was $0.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, and $0.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The lease payments associated with these leases are based on a percentage of quarterly net profits; therefore, the future payments will vary with the future profits.
	The Company leases office space and equipment at its various locations. Many of the leases contain renewal options with varying terms and conditions. Management expects that in the normal course of business, expiring leases will be renewed or, upon making a decision to relocate, replaced by leases for new locations. Operating lease terms range from three to ten years. Rent expense includes insurance, maintenance, and other costs as required by the lease. Total rental expense was $21.1 million, $17.2 million and $17.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	The Company participates in a fleet program that allows qualified employees to obtain a lease vehicle. Employees that drive over 12,000 miles on an annual basis can qualify for a vehicle; all participation is voluntary. The individual operating leases are for a minimum of 12 months. Fleet expense for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014 was $3.6 million.
	Future minimum rental commitments under non-cancelable operating leases are as follows (amounts in thousands):
	Year	Total
	2015	$	23,530
	2016	10,384
	2017	6,017
	2018	3,284
	2019	1,718
	Thereafter	2,015
		$	46,948

Employee_Benefit_Plan

Employee Benefit Plan	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Text Block [Abstract]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Text Block]	9. Employee Benefit Plan
	Defined Contribution Plan
	The Company sponsors a 401(k) plan for all eligible employees. The plan allows participants to contribute up to $17,500 in 2014, tax deferred (subject to IRS guidelines). The plan also allows discretionary Company contributions as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors. Effective January 1, 2006, the Company implemented a discretionary match of up to two percent of participating employee contributions. The employer contribution will vest 20% after two years and 20% each additional year until it is fully vested in year six. Contribution expense to the Company was $4.7 million, $3.7 million and $1.7 million in the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	10. 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. The District Court held a final fairness hearing on December 11, 2014, and issued two Report and Recommendations on February 11, 2015 approving the settlement plan of allocation and Lead Plaintiff's fees and expenses. On March 3, 2015, the District Court entered its Judgments adopting the Report and Recommendations previously issued. 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.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	11. 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 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 twelve months ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (amounts in thousands):
		Year Ended December 31, 2014
		Home-based			Hospice services			Facility-based			Total
		services						services
	Net service revenue	$	592,664		$	67,621		$	73,347		$	733,632
	Cost of service revenue	349,467			39,804			45,504			434,775
	Provision for bad debts	13,945			909			926			15,780
	General and administrative expenses	193,832			18,882			21,231			233,945
	Impairment of intangibles and other	3,269			202			175			3,646
	Operating income	32,151			7,824			5,511			45,486
	Interest expense	(1,988		)	(249		)	(249		)	(2,486		)
	Non-operating income	203			43			19			265
	Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests	30,366			7,618			5,281			43,265
	Income tax expense	11,104			1,955			1,454			14,513
	Income from continuing operations	19,262			5,663			3,827			28,752
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	5,085			1,122			708			6,915
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	14,177		$	4,541		$	3,119		$	21,837
	Total assets	$	420,538		$	34,847		$	36,354		$	491,739
		Year Ended December 31, 2013
		Home-based			Hospice services			Facility-based			Total
		services						services
	Net service revenue	$	526,719		$	56,172		$	75,392		$	658,283
	Cost of service revenue	304,987			34,212			44,265			383,464
	Provision for bad debts	11,628			1,215			1,086			13,929
	General and administrative expenses	176,074			16,210			21,349			213,633
	Impairment of intangibles and other	344			175			1			520
	Operating income	33,686			4,360			8,691			46,737
	Interest expense	(1,600		)	(200		)	(195		)	(1,995		)
	Non-operating income	142			26			95			263
	Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests	32,228			4,186			8,591			45,005
	Income tax expense	12,545			1,797			1,517			15,859
	Income from continuing operations	19,683			2,389			7,074			29,146
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	4,596			956			1,252			6,804
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	15,087		$	1,433		$	5,822		$	22,342
	Total assets	$	356,842		$	29,073		$	36,311		$	422,226
		Year Ended December 31, 2012
		Home-based			Hospice services			Facility-based			Total
		services						services
	Net service revenue	$	513,244		$	50,497		$	73,828		$	637,569
	Cost of service revenue	292,580			29,609			43,563			365,752
	Provision for bad debts	9,741			852			1,282			11,875
	General and administrative expenses	168,815			14,660			21,512			204,987
	Impairment of intangibles and other	250			—			400			650
	Operating income	41,858			5,376			7,071			54,305
	Interest expense	(1,205		)	(151		)	(194		)	(1,550		)
	Non-operating income	124			9			51			184
	Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests	40,777			5,234			6,928			52,939
	Income tax expense	13,848			1,771			1,892			17,511
	Income from continuing operations	26,929			3,463			5,036			35,428
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	6,153			811			1,024			7,988
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	20,776		$	2,652		$	4,012		$	27,440
	Total assets	$	326,920		$	23,220		$	36,754		$	386,894

Fair_Value_of_Financial_Instru

Fair Value of Financial Instruments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	12. 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 was calculated using level 3 inputs based on the present value of anticipated future benefits. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the carrying value of the Company’s long-term debt approximates fair value as the interest rates approximates current rates.

Allowance_for_Uncollectible_Ac

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]
Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts	13. Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts
	The following table summarizes the activity and ending balances in the allowance for uncollectible accounts for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (amounts in thousands):
	Year	Beginning of		Additions		Deductions		End of Year
		Year Balance						Balance
	2014	$	14,334	$	15,780	$	11,532	$	18,582
	2013	11,863		13,929		11,458		14,334
	2012	10,692		11,875		10,704		11,863

Concentration_of_Risk

Concentration of Risk	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]
Concentration of Risk	14. Concentration of Risk
	The Company’s Louisiana facilities accounted for approximately 22.7%, 26.0% and 28.5% of net service revenue during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Any material change in the current economic or competitive conditions in Louisiana could have a disproportionate effect on the Company’s overall business results.

Unaudited_Summarized_Quarterly

Unaudited Summarized Quarterly Financial Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Unaudited Summarized Quarterly Financial Information	15. Unaudited Summarized Quarterly Financial Information
	The following table represents the Company’s unaudited quarterly results of operations (amounts in thousands, except share data):
		First Quarter 2014		Second Quarter 2014		Third Quarter 2014		Fourth Quarter 2014
	Net service revenue	$	163,681	$	188,867	$	187,713	$	193,371
	Gross margin	66,347		77,340		74,591		80,579
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	4,068		6,061		6,174		5,534
	Basic earnings per share:
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	0.24	$	0.35	$	0.36	$	0.32
	Diluted earnings per share:
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	0.24	$	0.35	$	0.36	$	0.32
	Weighted average shares outstanding:
	Basic	17,148,043		17,233,264		17,260,078		17,274,677
	Diluted	17,268,716		17,277,224		17,356,916		17,419,423
		First Quarter 2013		Second Quarter 2013		Third Quarter 2013		Fourth Quarter 2013
	Net service revenue	$	161,953	$	166,302	$	164,748	$	165,280
	Gross margin	68,705		69,293		66,782		70,039
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	6,286		5,790		5,297		4,969
	Basic earnings per share:
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	0.37	$	0.34	$	0.31	$	0.29
	Diluted earnings per share:
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	0.37	$	0.34	$	0.31	$	0.29
	Weighted average shares outstanding:
	Basic	16,966,525		17,055,619		17,083,201		17,096,360
	Diluted	17,073,543		17,127,017		17,182,013		17,228,499
	Because of the method used to calculate per share amounts, quarterly per share amounts may not necessarily total to the per share amounts for the entire year.

Summary_of_Significant_Account1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“US 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.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation
	The consolidated financial statements include all subsidiaries and entities controlled by the Company. Control is defined by the Company as ownership of a majority of the voting interest of an entity. Third party equity interests in the consolidated joint ventures are reflected as noncontrolling interests in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
	The following table summarizes the percentage of net service revenue earned by type of ownership or relationship the Company had with the operating entity for the periods presented for the years ending December 31:
	Ownership type	2014		2013			2012
	Wholly owned subsidiaries	55	%	48.8	%		48.1	%
	Equity joint ventures	42		48.5			49.1
	License leasing arrangements	2		1.9			1.9
	Management services	1		0.8			0.9
		100	%	100	%		100	%
	All significant inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Business combinations accounted for as purchases have been included in the consolidated financial statements from the respective dates of acquisition.
	The following discussion describes the Company’s consolidation policy with respect to its various ventures excluding wholly owned subsidiaries:
	Equity Joint Ventures
	A majority of the Company’s equity joint ventures are structured as limited liability companies in which the Company typically owns a majority equity interest ranging from 51% to 91%. Each member of all but one of the Company’s equity joint ventures participates in profits and losses in proportion to their equity interests. The Company has one equity joint venture partner whose participation in losses is limited. The Company consolidates these entities as the Company has the obligation to absorb losses of the entities and the right to receive benefits from the entities and generally has voting control over the entities.
	License Leasing Arrangements
	The Company, through wholly owned subsidiaries, leases home health licenses necessary to operate certain of its home nursing and hospice agencies. As with wholly owned subsidiaries, the Company owns 100% of the equity of these entities and consolidates them based on such ownership.
	Management Services
	The Company has various management services agreements under which the Company manages certain operations of agencies and facilities. The Company does not consolidate these agencies or facilities, as the Company does not have an ownership interest and does not have an obligation to absorb losses of the entities or the right to receive the benefits from the entities other than management fees.
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 programs. 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 years ending December 31:
	Payor	2014		2013			2012
	Medicare	75	%	79.8	%		77.9	%
	Medicaid	1.3		1.4			1.8
	Other	23.7		18.8			20.3
		100	%	100	%		100	%
	The percentage of net service revenue contributed from each reporting segment was as follows for the years ending December 31:
	Segment	2014		2013			2012
	Home-based services	80.8	%	80	%		80.5	%
	Hospice services	9.2		8.5			7.9
	Facility-based services	10		11.5			11.6
		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 this 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. Management estimates the impact of these payment adjustments based on historical experience and records this estimate during the period the services are rendered. The Company’s payment is also adjusted for geographic wage differences. In calculating the Company’s reported net service revenue from home nursing services, the Company adjusts the prospective Medicare payments by an estimate of the adjustments.
	Hospice Services
	The Company is paid by Medicare under a per diem payment system. The Company receives one of four predetermined daily or hourly rates based upon the level of care the Company furnished. The Company records net service revenue from hospice services based on the daily or hourly rate and recognizes revenue as hospice services are provided.
	Hospice payments are 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 programs 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 December 31, 2014, the Company recorded $0.8 million for estimated liabilities in amounts due to governmental entities.
	Facility-Based Services
	Long-Term Acute Care Services. The Company is reimbursed by Medicare for services provided under the long-term acute care hospital (“LTACH”) prospective payment system. Each patient is assigned a long-term care diagnosis-related group. The Company is paid a predetermined fixed amount intended to reflect the average cost of treating a Medicare patient classified in that particular long-term care diagnosis-related group. For selected patients, the amount may be further adjusted based on length-of-stay and facility-specific costs, as well as in instances where a patient is discharged and subsequently re-admitted, among other factors. The Company calculates the adjustment based on a historical average of these types of adjustments for claims paid. Similar to other Medicare prospective payment systems, the rate is also adjusted for geographic wage differences. Revenue is recognized for the Company’s LTACHs as services are provided.
	Medicaid, managed care and other payors
	The Company’s Medicaid reimbursement is based on a predetermined fee schedule applied to each service provided. Therefore, revenue is recognized for Medicaid services as services are provided based on this fee schedule. The Company’s managed care and other payors reimburse the Company in a manner similar to either Medicare or Medicaid. Accordingly, the Company recognizes revenue from managed care and other payors in the same manner as the Company recognizes revenue from Medicare or Medicaid.
	Management Services
	The Company records management services revenue as services are provided in accordance with the various management services agreements to which the Company is a party. As described in the management services agreements, the Company provides billing, management and other consulting services suited to and designed for the efficient operation of the applicable home nursing agency. The Company is responsible for the costs associated with the locations and personnel required for the provision of services. The Company is compensated based on a percentage of cash collections for one management service agreement and reimbursed for operating expenses plus a percentage of operating net income for two management service agreements.
Account 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. Because Medicare is the Company’s primary payor, the credit risk associated with receivables from other payors is limited. The Company believes the credit risk associated with its Medicare accounts, which represent 58.2% and 68.6% of its patient accounts receivable at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, 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 significant concentrations of receivables from any particular payor that would subject it to any significant credit risk in the collection of accounts receivable.
	The amount of 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 that 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 RAPs received for that episode will be recouped by Medicare from any other Medicare claims in process for that particular provider. The RAP and final claim must then be resubmitted. For subsequent episodes of care contiguous with the first episode for a particular patient, the Company submits a RAP for 50% instead of 60% of the estimated reimbursement.
	The Company’s Medicare population is paid at a prospectively set amount that can be determined at the time services are rendered. The Company’s Medicaid reimbursement is based on a predetermined fee schedule applied to each individual service we provide. The Company’s managed care contracts are structured similar to either the Medicare or Medicaid payment methodologies. Because of its payor mix, the Company is able to calculate its actual amount due at the patient level and adjust the gross charges down to the actual amount at the time of billing. This negates the need to record an estimated contractual allowance when reporting net service revenue for each reporting period.
Business Combinations Policy	Business Combination
	The Company accounts for business combinations using the acquisition method. The assets typically acquired consist primarily of a Medicare license, trade names, certificate of need and/or a noncompete agreement. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed, if any, are measured at fair value on the acquisition date using the appropriate valuation method. The noncontrolling interest associated with joint venture acquisitions is also measured and recorded at fair value as of the acquisition date. The residual purchase price is recorded as goodwill. The operations of the acquisitions are included in the consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Intangible Assets
	The Company performs its annual impairment review of goodwill at November 30, and when a triggering event occurs between annual impairment tests. For 2014, the Company performed a qualitative assessment of goodwill and determined that it is not more likely than not that the fair values of its reporting units are less than the carrying amounts.
	The Company has not recognized any goodwill impairment charges in 2014, 2013 or 2012 related to the annual impairment testing; however, the Company did recognize a disposal of $0.2 million related to goodwill associated with the closure of underperforming locations.
	Included in intangible assets are definite-lived assets subject to amortization such as non-compete agreements and defensive assets, which are defined as trade names that are not actively used. Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, ranging from two to five years. The Company also has indefinite-lived assets that are not subject to amortization expense such as trade names, certificates of need and licenses to conduct specific operations within geographic markets. The Company has concluded that trade names, certificates of need and licenses have indefinite lives, because there are no legal, regulatory, contractual, economic or other factors that would limit the useful life of these intangible assets and the Company intends to renew and operate the certificates of need and licenses and use the trade names indefinitely. These indefinite-lived intangible assets are reviewed annually for impairment or more frequently if circumstances indicate impairment may have occurred. To determine whether an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired, the Company performs a qualitative assessment to support the conclusion that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is not impaired. Based on the results of that qualitative assessment, the Company may perform a quantitative test. The Company utilizes a relief-from-royalty method in its quantitative impairment test of trade names. Under this method, the fair value of the trade name is determined by calculating the present value of the after-tax cost savings associated with owning the trade names and, therefore, not having to pay royalties for use over its estimated useful life. The Company utilizes the cost approach in its quantitative impairment test for certificates of need and licenses. Under this method, assumptions are made about the cost to replace the certificates of need and licenses. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded an impairment charge related to indefinite-lived intangible assets of $2.0 million, $0.5 million and $0.7 million, respectively.
Due To And Due From Governmental Entities	Due to/from Governmental Entities
	The Company’s LTACHs are reimbursed for certain activities based on tentative rates. The amounts recorded in due to/from governmental entities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets relate to settled and open cost reports that are subject to the completion of audits and the issuance of final assessments. Final reimbursement is determined based on submission of annual cost reports and audits by the fiscal intermediary. Adjustments are accrued on an estimated basis in the period the related services were rendered and further adjusted as final settlements are determined. These adjustments are accounted for as changes in estimates. Additionally, reimbursements received in excess of hospice cap amounts are recorded in this account.
Property, Plant and Equipment	Property, Building and Equipment
	Property, building and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the individual assets. The estimated useful life of buildings is 39 years, while the estimated useful lives of transportation equipment, and furniture and other equipment range from 3 to 10 years. The useful life for leasehold improvements is the shorter of the lease term or the expected life of the leasehold improvement. Assets that are sold or retired are written off and any gain or losses are recorded in operating income. Routine repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
	Property, building and equipment are reviewed whenever events or changes in circumstances occur that indicate possible impairment. There were no impairments recognized during the periods ended December 31, 2014, 2013 or 2012.
	The following table describes the Company’s components of property, building and equipment for the years ending December 31 (amounts in thousands):
		2014			2013
	Land	$	543		$	673
	Building and improvements	9,238			8,997
	Transportation equipment	6,191			6,181
	Fixed equipment	3,661			4,137
	Office furniture and medical equipment	59,837			51,999
		79,470			71,987
	Less accumulated depreciation	44,683			40,935
		$	34,787		$	31,052
	Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $7.5 million, $6.9 million and $6.9 million, respectively, which was recorded in general and administrative expenses.
Noncontrolling Interest	Noncontrolling Interest
	The nonredeemable interest held by third parties in subsidiaries owned or controlled by the Company is reported on the consolidated balance sheets as noncontrolling interest as a component of stockholders’ equity. Redeemable interest held by third parties in subsidiaries owned or controlled by the Company is reported on the consolidated balance sheets outside of permanent equity. All noncontrolling interest reported in the consolidated statements of income reflects the respective interests in the income or loss after income taxes of the subsidiaries attributable to the other parties, the effect of which is removed from the net income attributable to the Company.
Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans	Stock-Based Compensation
	The Company grants restricted stock or restricted stock units to employees and members of its Board of Directors as a form of compensation. The expense for such awards is based on the grant date fair value of the award and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. See Note 7 to these consolidated financial statements.
Earnings Per Share	Earnings Per Share
	Basic per share information is computed by dividing the item by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period, under the treasury stock method. Diluted per share information is computed by dividing the item by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding plus dilutive potential shares.
	The following table sets forth shares used in the computation of basic and diluted per share information for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:
		2014		2013			2012
	Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation	17,229,026		17,049,794			17,853,321
	Effect of dilutive potential shares:
	Options	4,284		4,058			1,909
	Nonvested restricted stock	82,023		78,899			43,965
	Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation	17,315,333		17,132,751			17,899,195
	Antidilutive shares	173,360		182,225			345,122
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 period within those years. Early adoption is permitted by only for disposals that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. The Company adopted this guidance during 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.

Summary_of_Significant_Account2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 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 for the periods presented for the years ending December 31:
	Ownership type	2014		2013			2012
	Wholly owned subsidiaries	55	%	48.8	%		48.1	%
	Equity joint ventures	42		48.5			49.1
	License leasing arrangements	2		1.9			1.9
	Management services	1		0.8			0.9
		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 years ending December 31:
	Payor	2014		2013			2012
	Medicare	75	%	79.8	%		77.9	%
	Medicaid	1.3		1.4			1.8
	Other	23.7		18.8			20.3
		100	%	100	%		100	%
Percentage Of Net Service Revenue Contributed From Each Reporting Segment	The percentage of net service revenue contributed from each reporting segment was as follows for the years ending December 31:
	Segment	2014		2013			2012
	Home-based services	80.8	%	80	%		80.5	%
	Hospice services	9.2		8.5			7.9
	Facility-based services	10		11.5			11.6
		100	%	100	%		100	%
Property, Plant and Equipment	The following table describes the Company’s components of property, building and equipment for the years ending December 31 (amounts in thousands):
		2014			2013
	Land	$	543		$	673
	Building and improvements	9,238			8,997
	Transportation equipment	6,191			6,181
	Fixed equipment	3,661			4,137
	Office furniture and medical equipment	59,837			51,999
		79,470			71,987
	Less accumulated depreciation	44,683			40,935
		$	34,787		$	31,052
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 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:
		2014		2013			2012
	Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation	17,229,026		17,049,794			17,853,321
	Effect of dilutive potential shares:
	Options	4,284		4,058			1,909
	Nonvested restricted stock	82,023		78,899			43,965
	Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation	17,315,333		17,132,751			17,899,195
	Antidilutive shares	173,360		182,225			345,122

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Tab

Acquisitions and Disposals (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 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
	Life Care at Home		100	%	Rhode Island		11/1/14
	Troy Regional Medical Center Home Health		54	%	Alabama		11/1/14
Schedule Of Purchase Price Allocations Table [Table Text Block]	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	$	73,933
	Fair value of total consideration transferred	73,933
	Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
	Trade name	13,950
	Certificates of need/licenses	8,615
	Other identifiable intangible assets	441
	Accounts receivable	8,667
	Fixed assets	495
	Accounts payable	(867		)
	Other assets and (liabilities), net	(2,456		)
	Total identifiable assets	28,845
	Noncontrolling interest	238
	Goodwill, including noncontrolling interest of $75	$	45,326
Pro Forma Consolidated Income Statement Information	The following table contains unaudited pro forma consolidated income statement information assuming the 2014 acquisitions closed January 1, 2013 (amount in thousands, except earnings per share):
			2014			2013
	Net service revenue		$	771,750		$	760,669
	Operating income		46,230			47,399
	Net income		22,299			22,698
	Basic earnings per share		1.29			1.33
	Diluted earnings per share		1.29			1.32

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangibles1

Goodwill and Other Intangibles, Net (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule Of Acquired Finite And Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets By Major Class Table [Table Text Block]	The following tables summarize the changes in intangible assets during the twelve months ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 (amounts in thousands):
			December 31, 2014
			Estimated useful life		Gross			Accumulated			Net
					carrying			amortization			carrying
					amount						amount
	Indefinite-lived assets:
	Trade names		Indefinite		$	54,732		$	—		$	54,732
	Certificates of need/licenses		Indefinite		19,058			—			19,058
	Indefinite-lived balance at end of period				73,790			—			73,790
	Amortizing assets:
	Trade names		2 months – 5 years		8,210			(2,797		)	5,413
	Non-compete agreements		3 months – 2 years		4,225			(3,763		)	462
	Favorable leases		6 months – 3 years		20			—			20
	Amortizing balance at end of period				12,455			(6,560		)	5,895
	Balance at December 31, 2014				$	86,245		$	(6,560	)	$	79,685
			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
	Amortizing assets:
	Trade names		8 months – 1 year		5,625			(1,055		)	4,570
	Non-compete agreements		2 months – 3 years		3,830			(3,463		)	367
	Amortizing balance at end of period				9,455			(4,518		)	4,937
	Balance at December 31, 2013				$	66,702		$	(4,518	)	$	62,184
Schedule of Goodwill [Table Text Block]	The following table summarizes changes in goodwill by reporting unit during the twelve months ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 (amounts in thousands):
		Home-based				Community-			Hospice			Facility-based		Total
		reporting unit				based			reporting unit			reporting unit
						reporting unit
	Balance as of December 31, 2012	$	150,350			$	265		$	6,944		$	11,591	$	169,150
	Goodwill from acquisitions	22,602				—			2,519			—		25,121
	Goodwill related to noncontrolling interests	622				—			—			—		622
	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	173,574			$	265		$	9,463		$	11,591	$	194,893
	Goodwill from acquisitions	22,809				17,074			5,330			—		45,213
	Goodwill related to noncontrolling interests	113				—			—			—		113
	Goodwill related to disposal	(200		)		—			—			—		(200		)
	Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	196,296			$	17,339		$	14,793		$	11,591	$	240,019

Income_Taxes_Tables

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]	Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
			2014				2013
	Deferred tax assets:
	Allowance for uncollectible accounts		$	6,397			$	5,127
	Accrued employee benefits		4,195				3,420
	Stock compensation		1,228				1,503
	Accrued self-insurance		2,526				2,257
	Acquisition costs		1,510				1,155
	Net operating loss carry forward		927				873
	Intangible asset impairment		49				55
	Uncertain tax position—state tax portion		215				215
	Uncertain tax position - interest expense		186				—
	Other		121				61
	Valuation allowance		(44		)		(44		)
	Deferred tax assets		$	17,310			$	14,622
	Deferred tax liabilities:
	Amortization of intangible assets		(29,370		)		(25,202		)
	Tax depreciation in excess of book depreciation		(7,994		)		(7,171		)
	Prepaid expenses		(697		)		(786		)
	Non-accrual experience accounting method		(1,459		)		(1,223		)
	Deferred state tax receivable		—				(49		)
	Deferred tax liabilities		(39,520		)		(34,431		)
	Net deferred tax liability		$	(22,210	)		$	(19,809	)
Income Tax Expense (benefit) from Continuing operations, Less Noncontrolling Interest	The components of the Company’s income tax expense from continuing operations, less noncontrolling interest, were as follows (amounts in thousands):
			2014				2013				2012
	Current:
	Federal		$	10,195			$	11,962			$	12,930
	State		1,916				1,546				2,377
			12,111				13,508				15,307
	Deferred:
	Federal		2,187				1,448				1,955
	State		215				903				249
			2,402				2,351				2,204
	Total income tax expense (benefit)		$	14,513			$	15,859			$	17,511
Statutory Rate and Provisions for Income Taxes	A reconciliation of the differences between income tax expense on net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc., computed at the federal statutory rate and provisions for income taxes for each period is as follows (amounts in thousands):
			2014				2013				2012
	Income taxes computed at federal statutory tax rate		$	12,723			$	13,360			$	15,733
	State income taxes, net of federal benefit		1,407				1,641				1,739
	Nondeductible expenses		766				1,022				844
	Other items		(99		)		101				40
	Income tax credits		(284		)		(265		)		(845		)
	Total income tax expense (benefit)		$	14,513			$	15,859			$	17,511
	A reconciliation of the difference between the federal statutory tax rate and the Company's effective tax rate for income taxes for each period is as follows:
			2014			2013			2012
	Federal statutory tax rate		35	%		35	%		35	%
	State income taxes, net of federal benefit		3.5			3.5			3.5
	Nondeductible expenses		2.3			3.1			2.2
	Credits and other		(0.9	)		—			(1.7	)
	Effective tax rate		39.9	%		41.6	%		39	%
Total amounts of Unrecognized Tax	A reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits follows (amounts in thousands):
	Total unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2013	$	3,415
	Increases (decreases) in unrecognized tax benefits as a result of:
	Tax positions taken during the current period	—
	Total unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2014	$	3,415

Debt_Schedule_of_LongTerm_Debt

Debt Schedule of Long-Term Debt Instruments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt [Table Text Block]	The scheduled principal payments on long-term debt for each of the five years subsequent to December 31, 2014 is as follows (amounts in thousands):
	Year	Principal payment amount
	2015	$	230
	2016	60,241
	2017	252
	2018	264
	2019	21
	Total	$	61,008

Stockholders_Equity_Tables

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity [Table Text Block]	The following table represents stock options activity for the year ended December 31, 2014:
		Number of		Weighted		Average	Aggregate
		Shares		Average		Remaining	Intrinsic
				Exercise Price		Contractual	Value
						Term
	Options outstanding at January 1, 2014	15,000		$	16.88	2.0 years	$	107,475
	Options granted	—		—		—	—
	Options exercised	—		—		—	—
	Options forfeited or expired	—		—		—	—
	Options outstanding at December 31, 2014	15,000		$	16.88	1.0 year	$	—
	Options exercisable at December 31, 2014	15,000		$	16.88	1.0 year	$	214,575
Nonvested Stock Activity	The following table represents the nonvested stock activity for the year ended December 31, 2014:
		Number of		Weighted Average
		Shares		Grant Date Fair Value
	Nonvested shares outstanding at January 1, 2014	506,467		$	22.08
	Granted	199,445		23.59
	Vested	(180,115	)	22.05
	Forfeited	(1,510	)	23.38
	Nonvested shares outstanding at December 31, 2014	524,287		$	22.56
Summary of Shares Issued Under Employee Stock Purchase Plan	The following table represents the shares issued during 2014, 2013 and 2012 under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan:
		Number of		Weighted Average
		Shares		Per Share Price
	Shares available as of January 1, 2011	111,432
	Additional shares authorized for issuance	250,000
	Shares issued in 2012	50,185		$	15.58
	Shares issued in 2013	38,459		$	20.39
	Shares issued in 2014	36,305		$	21.49
	Shares available as of December 31, 2014	236,483

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]	The following tables summarize the Company’s segment information for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (amounts in thousands):
		Year Ended December 31, 2014
		Home-based			Hospice services			Facility-based			Total
		services						services
	Net service revenue	$	592,664		$	67,621		$	73,347		$	733,632
	Cost of service revenue	349,467			39,804			45,504			434,775
	Provision for bad debts	13,945			909			926			15,780
	General and administrative expenses	193,832			18,882			21,231			233,945
	Impairment of intangibles and other	3,269			202			175			3,646
	Operating income	32,151			7,824			5,511			45,486
	Interest expense	(1,988		)	(249		)	(249		)	(2,486		)
	Non-operating income	203			43			19			265
	Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests	30,366			7,618			5,281			43,265
	Income tax expense	11,104			1,955			1,454			14,513
	Income from continuing operations	19,262			5,663			3,827			28,752
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	5,085			1,122			708			6,915
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	14,177		$	4,541		$	3,119		$	21,837
	Total assets	$	420,538		$	34,847		$	36,354		$	491,739
		Year Ended December 31, 2013
		Home-based			Hospice services			Facility-based			Total
		services						services
	Net service revenue	$	526,719		$	56,172		$	75,392		$	658,283
	Cost of service revenue	304,987			34,212			44,265			383,464
	Provision for bad debts	11,628			1,215			1,086			13,929
	General and administrative expenses	176,074			16,210			21,349			213,633
	Impairment of intangibles and other	344			175			1			520
	Operating income	33,686			4,360			8,691			46,737
	Interest expense	(1,600		)	(200		)	(195		)	(1,995		)
	Non-operating income	142			26			95			263
	Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests	32,228			4,186			8,591			45,005
	Income tax expense	12,545			1,797			1,517			15,859
	Income from continuing operations	19,683			2,389			7,074			29,146
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	4,596			956			1,252			6,804
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	15,087		$	1,433		$	5,822		$	22,342
	Total assets	$	356,842		$	29,073		$	36,311		$	422,226
		Year Ended December 31, 2012
		Home-based			Hospice services			Facility-based			Total
		services						services
	Net service revenue	$	513,244		$	50,497		$	73,828		$	637,569
	Cost of service revenue	292,580			29,609			43,563			365,752
	Provision for bad debts	9,741			852			1,282			11,875
	General and administrative expenses	168,815			14,660			21,512			204,987
	Impairment of intangibles and other	250			—			400			650
	Operating income	41,858			5,376			7,071			54,305
	Interest expense	(1,205		)	(151		)	(194		)	(1,550		)
	Non-operating income	124			9			51			184
	Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests	40,777			5,234			6,928			52,939
	Income tax expense	13,848			1,771			1,892			17,511
	Income from continuing operations	26,929			3,463			5,036			35,428
	Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	6,153			811			1,024			7,988
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	20,776		$	2,652		$	4,012		$	27,440
	Total assets	$	326,920		$	23,220		$	36,754		$	386,894

Allowance_for_Uncollectible_Ac1

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts Activity and Ending Balances (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]
Allowance for Credit Losses on Financing Receivables [Table Text Block]	The following table summarizes the activity and ending balances in the allowance for uncollectible accounts for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (amounts in thousands):
	Year	Beginning of		Additions		Deductions		End of Year
		Year Balance						Balance
	2014	$	14,334	$	15,780	$	11,532	$	18,582
	2013	11,863		13,929		11,458		14,334
	2012	10,692		11,875		10,704		11,863

Unaudited_Summarized_Quarterly1

Unaudited Summarized Quarterly Financial Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Unaudited Quarterly Results of Operations	The following table represents the Company’s unaudited quarterly results of operations (amounts in thousands, except share data):
		First Quarter 2014		Second Quarter 2014		Third Quarter 2014		Fourth Quarter 2014
	Net service revenue	$	163,681	$	188,867	$	187,713	$	193,371
	Gross margin	66,347		77,340		74,591		80,579
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	4,068		6,061		6,174		5,534
	Basic earnings per share:
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	0.24	$	0.35	$	0.36	$	0.32
	Diluted earnings per share:
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	0.24	$	0.35	$	0.36	$	0.32
	Weighted average shares outstanding:
	Basic	17,148,043		17,233,264		17,260,078		17,274,677
	Diluted	17,268,716		17,277,224		17,356,916		17,419,423
		First Quarter 2013		Second Quarter 2013		Third Quarter 2013		Fourth Quarter 2013
	Net service revenue	$	161,953	$	166,302	$	164,748	$	165,280
	Gross margin	68,705		69,293		66,782		70,039
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	6,286		5,790		5,297		4,969
	Basic earnings per share:
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	0.37	$	0.34	$	0.31	$	0.29
	Diluted earnings per share:
	Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$	0.37	$	0.34	$	0.31	$	0.29
	Weighted average shares outstanding:
	Basic	16,966,525		17,055,619		17,083,201		17,096,360
	Diluted	17,073,543		17,127,017		17,182,013		17,228,499

Organization_Details

Organization (Details)	Dec. 31, 2014
	State
	ServiceProvider
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Number Of Service Providers	340
Number of States in which Entity Operates	30

Summary_of_Significant_Account3

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Percentage of Net Service Revenue Earned by Type of Ownership or relationship with Operating Entity (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Health Care organization, Revenue [Abstract]
Percentage of Net Service Revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Wholly-owned Subsidiaries [Member]
Health Care organization, Revenue [Abstract]
Percentage of Net Service Revenue	55.00%	48.80%	48.10%
Equity Joint Ventures [Member]
Health Care organization, Revenue [Abstract]
Percentage of Net Service Revenue	42.00%	48.50%	49.10%
License Leasing Arrangements [Member]
Health Care organization, Revenue [Abstract]
Percentage of Net Service Revenue	2.00%	1.90%	1.90%
Management Services [Member]
Health Care organization, Revenue [Abstract]
Percentage of Net Service Revenue	1.00%	0.80%	0.90%

Summary_of_Significant_Account4

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Percentage of Net Service Revenue Earned by Category of Payor (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Medicare [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	75.00%	79.80%	77.90%
Medicaid [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	1.30%	1.40%	1.80%
Other [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	23.70%	18.80%	20.30%

Summary_of_Significant_Account5

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Percentage of Net Service Revenue Contributed from Each Reporting Segment (Detail) (Sales Revenue, Segment [Member])	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Home-based services [Member]
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]
Percentage of net service revenue	80.80%	80.00%	80.50%
Hospice Entity [Member]
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]
Percentage of net service revenue	9.20%	8.50%	7.90%
Facility-based services [Member]
Health Care Organization, Revenue [Abstract]
Percentage of net service revenue	10.00%	11.50%	11.60%

Summary_of_Significant_Account6

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Components of Property, Building and Equipment (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Other Long Term Assets [Line Items]
Property, building and equipment, gross	$79,470	$71,987
Less accumulated depreciation	44,683	40,935
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	34,787	31,052
Land [Member]
Other Long Term Assets [Line Items]
Property, building and equipment, gross	543	673
Building and improvements [Member]
Other Long Term Assets [Line Items]
Property, building and equipment, gross	9,238	8,997
Transportation equipment [Member]
Other Long Term Assets [Line Items]
Property, building and equipment, gross	6,191	6,181
Fixed equipment [Member]
Other Long Term Assets [Line Items]
Property, building and equipment, gross	3,661	4,137
Office furniture and medical equipment [Member]
Other Long Term Assets [Line Items]
Property, building and equipment, gross	$59,837	$51,999

Summary_of_Significant_Account7

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Shares Used in Computation of Basic and Diluted Per Share Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding:
Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation	17,274,677	17,260,078	17,233,264	17,148,043	17,096,360	17,083,201	17,055,619	16,966,525	17,229,026	17,049,794	17,853,321
Effect of dilutive potential shares:
Options									4,284	4,058	1,909
Nonvested Stock Awards									82,023	78,899	43,965
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted (shares)	17,419,423	17,356,916	17,277,224	17,268,716	17,228,499	17,182,013	17,127,017	17,073,543	17,315,333	17,132,751	17,899,195
Antidilutive shares									173,360	182,225	345,122

Summary_of_Significant_Account8

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
	time
	Group
	PeriodicRate
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
License Leasing Arrangements	100.00%
Number of Medicare home health resource groups	153
Number of days from date RAP paid to submit final Medicare bill	60 days
Low utilization adjustment visits	5
Minimum percentage of Medicare reimbursement from inpatient care services that subjects individual programs to inpatient cap	20.00%
Determination period for hospice Medicare inpatient reimbursement cap	12 months
Medicare credit risk for accounts receivable	58.20%	68.60%
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%
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Goodwill	$0.20
Loss on impairment of intangible assets	2	0.5	0.7
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Intangible Assets, Net	1.4
Depreciation expense	7.5	6.9	6.9
Selected Hospice, Periodic Rate Used to Calculate Revenue	1
Number of Hospice, Periodic Rates Used to Calculate Revenue	4
Hospice Cap Liability	$0.80
Minimum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Equity Joint Ventures, Ownership	51.00%
Maximum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Equity Joint Ventures, Ownership	91.00%
Building [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives	39 years
Transportation, Furniture And Other Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives	3 years
Transportation, Furniture And Other Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives	10 years

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Sch

Acquisitions and Disposals - Schedule of Acquired Entities (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Lanier Home Health [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	75.00%
State of Operations	Alabama
Acquisition Date	1-Feb-14
Lifeline Home Health [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Kentucky
Acquisition Date	1-Feb-14
Louisiana Hospice And Palliative Care Of New Orleans [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Louisiana
Acquisition Date	1-Mar-14
West Virginia Home Health [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	WestB Virginia
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
St Josephs Hospice [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	West Virginia
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
North Western Illinois Home Health [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Illinois
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
Deaconess Lifeline Home Health [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Kentucky
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
Deaconess Home Care [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Mississippi
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
Deaconess Home Care One [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Tennessee
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
Deaconess Hospice [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Mississippi
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
Elk Valley Health Services Llc [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Tennessee
Acquisition Date	1-Apr-14
North Carolina Home Health [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	NorthB Carolina
Acquisition Date	1-May-14
Professional Nursing Services [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	North Carolina
Acquisition Date	1-May-14
LifeCareatHome [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Massachusetts
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14
Life Care at Home of Tennessee One [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Tennessee
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14
Life Care at Home One [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Utah
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14
Life Care at Home Two [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Arizona
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14
At Home Healthcare One [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Colorado
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14
Life Care at Home Three [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Washington
Acquisition Date	1-Sep-14
Life Care Rhode Island [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	100.00%
State of Operations	Rhode Island
Acquisition Date	1-Nov-14
Troy Regional Medical Center Home Health [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage	54.00%
State of Operations	Alabama
Acquisition Date	1-Nov-14

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Sch1

Acquisitions and Disposals - Schedule of Aggregate Consideration Paid and Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Consideration
Cash	$73,933	$26,920	$6,758
Fair value of total consideration transferred	73,933
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Account Receivable	8,667
Fixed Assets	495
Accounts Payable	867
Other Assets and (Liabilities), Net	2,456
Total Identifiable Assets	28,845
Noncontrolling Interest	238
Goodwill Including Noncontrolling Interest of $75	45,326
Licensing Agreements [Member]
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, Intangible Assets	8,615
Trade Names [Member]
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, Intangible Assets	13,950
Other Identifiable Intangible Assets [Member]
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, Intangible Assets	$441

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Pro

Acquisitions and Disposals - Proforma Consolidated Income Statement Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Net Service Revenue	$771,750	$760,669
Operating income	46,230	47,399
Net income	$22,299	$22,698
Basic Earnings Per Share	$1.29	$1.33
Diluted Earnings Per Share	$1.29	$1.32

Acquisitions_and_Disposals_Add

Acquisitions and Disposals - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
		JointVenture
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total purchase price for acquisitions	$75,500,000	$27,300,000
Cash	73,933,000	26,920,000	6,758,000
Noncontrolling goodwill	113,000	622,000
Acquisition paid in assumed liabilities		400,000
Number of joint ventures in which additional ownership interests were acquired		6
Purchase price to acquire additional ownership interests in joint ventures		1,900,000
Decrease in noncontrolling interest redeemable		600,000
Reduction in additional paid in capital as a result of the purchase of additional ownership interests		1,300,000
Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	2 years
Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	5 years
Home Health Entity [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill Recognized		23,200,000
Home-based services [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of entities acquired	46
Goodwill Recognized	40,000,000
General and Administrative Expense [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition-related cost	1,000,000	600,000
Hospice Entity [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of entities acquired	6
Goodwill Recognized	$5,300,000	$2,500,000

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangibles2

Goodwill and Other Intangibles, Net - Schedule of Changes in Goodwill by Segment (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	$194,893	$169,150
Goodwill from acquisitions	45,213	25,121
Goodwill related to noncontrolling interest	-113	-622
Balance at end of period	240,019	194,893
Goodwill related to disposal	200
Home Based Reporting Unit [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	173,574	150,350
Goodwill from acquisitions	22,809	22,602
Goodwill related to noncontrolling interest	-113	-622
Balance at end of period	196,296	173,574
Goodwill related to disposal	200
Community Based Reporting Unit [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	265		265
Goodwill from acquisitions	17,074
Balance at end of period	17,339		265
Hospice Reporting Unit [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	9,463	6,944
Goodwill from acquisitions	5,330	2,519
Balance at end of period	14,793	9,463
Facility Based Reporting Unit [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period			11,591
Balance at end of period	$11,591	$11,591	$11,591

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangibles3

Goodwill and Other Intangibles Net - Summary of Changes in Intangible Assets (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Finite and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived assets, carrying amount	$73,790	$57,247
Definite-lived assets, gross carrying amount	12,455	9,455
Intangible assets, gross carrying amount	86,245	66,702
Definite-lived assets, accumulated amortization	-6,560	-4,518
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization ending balance	-6,560	-4,518
Definite-lived assets, net carrying amount	5,895	4,937
Intangible assets, net carrying amount	79,685	62,184
Minimum [Member]
Finite and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	2 years
Maximum [Member]
Finite and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	5 years
Trade Names [Member]
Finite and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived assets, carrying amount	54,732	46,707
Definite-lived assets, gross carrying amount	8,210	5,625
Definite-lived assets, accumulated amortization	-2,797	-1,055
Definite-lived assets, net carrying amount	5,413	4,570
Noncompete Agreements [Member]
Finite and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Definite-lived assets, gross carrying amount	4,225	3,830
Definite-lived assets, accumulated amortization	-3,763	-3,463
Definite-lived assets, net carrying amount	462	367
Favorable Leases [Member]
Finite and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Definite-lived assets, gross carrying amount	20
Definite-lived assets, net carrying amount	20
Licensing Agreements [Member]
Finite and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived assets, carrying amount	$19,058	$10,540

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangibles4

Goodwill and Other Intangibles, Net - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Goodwill	$200,000
Impairment of intangible assets	2,000,000	500,000
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	79,685,000	62,184,000
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Intangible Assets	1,400,000
Home-based services [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	73,400,000
Hospice Entity [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	5,300,000
Facility-based services [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	$1,000,000

Income_Taxes_Deferred_Tax_Asse

Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Deferred tax assets:
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	$6,397	$5,127
Accrued employee benefits	4,195	3,420
Stock compensation	1,228	1,503
Accrued self-insurance	2,526	2,257
Acquisition costs	1,510	1,155
Net operating loss carry forward	927	873
Intangible asset impairment	49	55
Uncertain tax position-state tax portion	215	215
Deferred Tax Assets, Interest Expense	186	0
Other	121	61
Valuation allowance	-44	-44
Deferred tax assets	17,310	14,622
Deferred tax liabilities:
Amortization of intangible assets	-29,370	-25,202
Tax depreciation in excess of book depreciation	-7,994	-7,171
Prepaid expenses	-697	-786
Non-accrual experience accounting method	-1,459	-1,223
Deferred state tax receivable	0	-49
Deferred tax liabilities	-39,520	-34,431
Net deferred tax liability	($22,210)	($19,809)

Income_Taxes_Income_Tax_Expens

Income Taxes - Income Tax Expense (Benefit) from Continuing Operations, Less Noncontrolling Interest (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current:
Federal	$10,195	$11,962	$12,930
State	1,916	1,546	2,377
Total Current	12,111	13,508	15,307
Deferred:
Federal	2,187	1,448	1,955
State	215	903	249
Total Deferred	2,402	2,351	2,204
Total Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$14,513	$15,859	$17,511

Income_Taxes_Statutory_Rate_an

Income Taxes - Statutory Rate and Provisions for Income Taxes Percent (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent [Abstract]
Federal Statutory Tax Rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State Income Taxes, net of federal benefit	3.50%	3.50%	3.50%
Nondeductible Expense	2.30%	3.10%	2.20%
Credits and other	-0.90%	0.00%	-1.70%
Effective Tax Rate	39.90%	41.60%	39.00%

Income_Taxes_Income_Taxes_Stat

Income Taxes Income Taxes- Statutory Rate and Provisions for Income Taxes (Detail) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income taxes computed at federal statutory tax rate	$12,723	$13,360	$15,733
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	1,407	1,641	1,739
Nondeductible expenses	766	1,022	844
Other items	-99	101	40
Income tax credit	-284	-265	-845
Total Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$14,513	$15,859	$17,511

Income_Taxes_Additional_Inform

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Tax payable as an unrecognized tax benefit	$3.40
Interest Expense For Unrecognized Tax Position	$0.20	$0.20	$0.10

Income_Taxes_Total_Amounts_of_

Income Taxes - Total Amounts of Unrecognized Tax (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Period Increase (Decrease)	$3,415	$3,415
Increases (decreases) in unrecognized tax benefits as a result of:
Tax positions taken during the current period	$0

Debt_Additional_Information_De

Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 18, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity			225,000,000
Letters Of Credit Sublimit			15,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	18-Jun-19
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage		2.20%
Line of credit facility drawn		60,000,000		22,000,000
Letter of credit outstanding		7,100,000		6,700,000
Promissory Note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
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
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		4.50%
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of credit fee on unused amount			0.23%
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of credit fee on unused amount			0.38%
Federal Funds Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate			0.50%
Eurodollar [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		2.17%	1.00%
Number Of Outstanding Debt Instrument			15
Eurodollar [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate			1.75%
Eurodollar [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate			2.50%
Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		4.25%
Base Rate [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate			0.75%
Base Rate [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate			1.50%

Debt_Schedule_of_Principal_Pay

Debt - Schedule of Principal Payments on Long-Term Debt (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
2015	$230
2016	60,241
2017	252
2018	264
2019	21
Total	$61,008

Shareholders_Equity_Stock_Opti

Shareholders' Equity- Stock Options Activity (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Equity [Abstract]
Options Outstanding, Beginning Balance	15,000
Options Granted, Number of Shares	0
Options Excercised, Number of Shares	0
Options Forfeited or Expired, Number of Shares	0
Options Outstanding, Ending Balance	15,000	15,000
Option Exercisable, Number of Shares	15,000
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price, Beginning Balance	$16.88
Options Granted, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$0
Options Exercised, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$0
Options Forfeited or Expired in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$0
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price, Ending Balance	$16.88	$16.88
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$16.88
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	1 year	2 years
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	1 year
Beginning Balance, Aggregate Intrinsic Value		$107,475
Ending Balance, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	107,475
Options Exercisable, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	$214,575

Shareholders_Equity_Nonvested_

Shareholders' Equity- Nonvested Stock Activity (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Equity [Abstract]
Nonvested Shares Outstanding, Number of Shares, Beginning Balance	506,467
Granted, Number of Shares	199,445
Vested, Number of Shares	180,115
Forfeited, Number of Shares	1,510
Nonvested Shares Outstanding, Number of Shares, Ending Balance	524,287	506,467
Nonvested Shares Outstanding, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value, Beginning Balance	$22.08
Grants, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	$23.59	$21.45	$19.02
Vested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	$22.05
Forfeited, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	$23.38
Nonvested Shares Outstanding, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value, Ending Balance	$22.56	$22.08

Stockholders_Equity_Shares_of_

Stockholders' Equity- Shares of Common Stock Issued During 2014 under Employee Stock Purchase Plan (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Shares Available, Beginning Balance			111,432
Shares Authorized for Issuance	250,000		250,000
Shares Issued during Period (Shares)	36,305	38,459	50,185
Shares Available, Ending Balance	236,483
Shares Issued during Period (per Share Price)	$21.49	$20.39	$15.58

Stockholders_Equity_Additional

Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Par value of common stock repurchased	$0.01	$0.01
Total amount authorized for repurchase under company's stock repurchase program	$50,000,000
Number of shares of common stock repurchased during period	0		1,540,813
Aggregate cost			27,000,000
Average cost per share of common stock repurchased during period			$17.52
Remaining amount authorized for repurchase under company's stock repurchase program	22,500,000
Common stock reserved and available for issuance	1,500,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Net of Forfeitures	0
Compensation expense related to stock options	0
Vesting period of non-vested shares	5 years
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested shares of common stock granted	7,800,000
Weighted average period of cost recognized	3 years 1 month 10 days
Total fair value of shares of common stock vested		3,900,000	3,700,000
Compensation expense related to nonvested stock grants	$4,100,000	$3,900,000	$4,400,000
Price of shares issued under Employee Stock Purchase Plan as a percentage of FMV	95.00%
Number of shares reserved for the Employee Stock Purchase Plan	250,000
Shares redeemed to satisfy personal tax obligations	40,716	40,608	36,621
Employee [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Nonvested stock grants to employees	172,545	198,243	187,140
Director [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Non vested stock grants to Independent director	26,900	24,300	26,100

Leases_Additional_information_

Leases - Additional information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Number Of License Lease Arrangements	3
Home nursing agencies	4
Hospice agencies	3
Operating Leases Start Period	2007
Operating Leases Expiration Period	2017
Operating Leases, Rent Expense	$21,100,000	$17,200,000	$17,300,000
Operating Lease Period Minimum	3 years
Operating Lease Period Maximum	10 years
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Next Twelve Months	23,530,000
Minimum Miles Required per Year for the Fleet Lease	12,000
Minimum Period of the Fleet Lease	12 months
Fleet Lease's Expense	3,600,000
Lease Agreement For License	400,000
Minimum [Member]
Operating Lease Period	1 year
Maximum [Member]
Operating Lease Period	4 years
Lease 1 [Member]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Next Twelve Months	200,000
Lease Agreement For License	200,000
Lease 2 [Member]
Lease Agreement For License		$300,000

Leases_Future_Minimum_Rental_C

Leases - Future Minimum Rental Commitments Under Non-cancelable Operating Leases (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2015	$23,530
2016	10,384
2017	6,017
2018	3,284
2019	1,718
Thereafter	2,015
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Total	$46,948

Employee_Benefit_Plan_Addition

Employee Benefit Plan - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Participants contribution	$17,500
Employer contribution	2.00%
Employer contribution	20.00%
Initial vesting period of employer contribution	2 years
Full vesting period of employer contribution	6 years
Contribution expenses	$4,700,000	$3,700,000	$1,700,000

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]
Litigation Settlement, Amount	$7.90
Joint Venture Buy Sell Option Period	30 days

Segment_Information_Segment_In

Segment Information- Segment Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue	$193,371	$187,713	$188,867	$163,681	$165,280	$164,748	$166,302	$161,953	$733,632	$658,283	$637,569
Cost of service revenue									434,775	383,464	365,752
Provision for bad debts									15,780	13,929	11,875
General and administrative expenses									233,945	213,633	204,987
Impairment of intangibles and other									3,646	520	650
Operating income									45,486	46,737	54,305
Interest expense									-2,486	-1,995	-1,550
Non-operating income									265	263	184
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests									43,265	45,005	52,939
Income tax expense									14,513	15,859	17,511
Income from continuing operations									28,752	29,146	35,428
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									6,915	6,804	7,988
Net Income Attributable to LHC Group Inc.'s Common Stockholders	5,534	6,174	6,061	4,068	4,969	5,297	5,790	6,286	21,837	22,342	27,440
Total assets	491,739				422,226				491,739	422,226	386,894
Home-based services [Member]
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue									592,664	526,719	513,244
Cost of service revenue									349,467	304,987	292,580
Provision for bad debts									13,945	11,628	9,741
General and administrative expenses									193,832	176,074	168,815
Impairment of intangibles and other									3,269	344	250
Operating income									32,151	33,686	41,858
Interest expense									-1,988	-1,600	-1,205
Non-operating income									203	142	124
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests									30,366	32,228	40,777
Income tax expense									11,104	12,545	13,848
Income from continuing operations									19,262	19,683	26,929
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									5,085	4,596	6,153
Net Income Attributable to LHC Group Inc.'s Common Stockholders									14,177	15,087	20,776
Total assets	420,538				356,842				420,538	356,842	326,920
Facility-based services [Member]
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue									73,347	75,392	73,828
Cost of service revenue									45,504	44,265	43,563
Provision for bad debts									926	1,086	1,282
General and administrative expenses									21,231	21,349	21,512
Impairment of intangibles and other									175	1	400
Operating income									5,511	8,691	7,071
Interest expense									-249	-195	-194
Non-operating income									19	95	51
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests									5,281	8,591	6,928
Income tax expense									1,454	1,517	1,892
Income from continuing operations									3,827	7,074	5,036
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									708	1,252	1,024
Net Income Attributable to LHC Group Inc.'s Common Stockholders									3,119	5,822	4,012
Total assets	36,354				36,311				36,354	36,311	36,754
Hospice Entity [Member]
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue									67,621	56,172	50,497
Cost of service revenue									39,804	34,212	29,609
Provision for bad debts									909	1,215	852
General and administrative expenses									18,882	16,210	14,660
Impairment of intangibles and other									202	175	0
Operating income									7,824	4,360	5,376
Interest expense									-249	-200	-151
Non-operating income									43	26	9
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests									7,618	4,186	5,234
Income tax expense									1,955	1,797	1,771
Income from continuing operations									5,663	2,389	3,463
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									1,122	956	811
Net Income Attributable to LHC Group Inc.'s Common Stockholders									4,541	1,433	2,652
Total assets	$34,847				$29,073				$34,847	$29,073	$23,220

Allowance_for_Uncollectible_Ac2

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts - Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts Activity and Ending Balances (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$14,334	$11,863	$10,692
Additions	-15,780	-13,929	-11,875
Deductions	11,532	11,458	10,704
Ending balance	$18,582	$14,334	$11,863

Concentration_of_Risk_Addition

Concentration of Risk - Additional Information (Detail)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]
Percentage Of Net Service Revenue Accounted By Facility	22.70%	26.00%	28.50%

Unaudited_Summarized_Quarterly2

Unaudited Summarized Quarterly Financial Information - Unaudited Quarterly Results of Operations (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Net service revenue	$193,371	$187,713	$188,867	$163,681	$165,280	$164,748	$166,302	$161,953	$733,632	$658,283	$637,569
Gross margin	80,579	74,591	77,340	66,347	70,039	66,782	69,293	68,705	298,857	274,819	271,817
Net Income Attributable to LHC Group Inc.'s Common Stockholders	$5,534	$6,174	$6,061	$4,068	$4,969	$5,297	$5,790	$6,286	$21,837	$22,342	$27,440
Earnings Per Share - Basic:
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.' common stockholders	$0.32	$0.36	$0.35	$0.24	$0.29	$0.31	$0.34	$0.37	$1.27	$1.31	$1.54
Earnings Per Share, Diluted [Abstract]
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.' common stockholders	$0.32	$0.36	$0.35	$0.24	$0.29	$0.31	$0.34	$0.37	$1.26	$1.30	$1.53
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding:
Basic	17,274,677	17,260,078	17,233,264	17,148,043	17,096,360	17,083,201	17,055,619	16,966,525	17,229,026	17,049,794	17,853,321
Diluted	17,419,423	17,356,916	17,277,224	17,268,716	17,228,499	17,182,013	17,127,017	17,073,543	17,315,333	17,132,751	17,899,195