LHC (LHCG) 10-Q 4 Nov 21 2021 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Cover page

Cover page - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Nov. 02, 2021
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2021
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-33989
Entity Registrant Name	LHC Group, Inc
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	71-0918189
Entity Address, Address Line One	901 Hugh Wallis Road South
Entity Address, City or Town	Lafayette
Entity Address, State or Province	LA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	70508
City Area Code	337
Local Phone Number	233-1307
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, par value of $0.01
Trading Symbol	LHCG
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		31,671,200
Entity Central Index Key	0001303313
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2021
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Amendment Flag	false

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Current assets:
Cash	$ 29,516	$ 286,569
Receivables:
Patient accounts receivable	333,088	301,209
Other receivables	21,543	11,522
Total receivables	354,631	312,731
Prepaid taxes	12,509	0
Prepaid income taxes	11,575	0
Prepaid expenses	22,048	22,058
Other current assets	21,320	25,664
Total current assets	451,599	647,022
Property, building and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $94,344 and $82,721, respectively	150,909	138,366
Goodwill	1,603,360	1,259,147
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $18,701 and $17,659, respectively	350,528	315,355
Assets held for sale	0	1,900
Operating lease right of use asset	111,550	100,046
Other assets	44,740	21,518
Total assets	2,712,686	2,483,354
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities	83,159	64,864
Salaries, wages, and benefits payable	82,994	88,666
Self-insurance reserves	35,094	35,103
Income tax payable	0	21,464
Government stimulus advance	0	93,257
Contract liabilities - deferred revenue	176,333	317,962
Current operating lease liabilities	35,964	32,676
Amounts due to governmental entities	785	1,516
Current liabilities - deferred employer payroll tax	26,774	25,928
Total current liabilities	441,103	681,436
Deferred income taxes	70,593	47,237
Income taxes payable	6,848	6,203
Revolving credit facility	355,000	20,000
Other long term liabilities	26,774	25,928
Long-term operating lease liabilities	78,445	70,275
Total liabilities	978,763	851,079
Noncontrolling interest — redeemable	17,730	18,921
Commitments and contingencies
LHC Group, Inc. stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock – $0.01 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding	0	0
Common stock — $0.01 par value; 60,000,000 shares authorized; 36,540,219 and 36,355,497 shares issued, and 31,263,385 and 31,139,840 shares outstanding, respectively	365	364
Treasury stock — 5,276,834 and 5,215,657 shares at cost, respectively	(80,605)	(69,011)
Additional paid-in capital	974,680	962,120
Retained earnings	735,333	635,297
Total LHC Group, Inc. stockholders’ equity	1,629,773	1,528,770
Noncontrolling interest — non-redeemable	86,420	84,584
Total stockholders' equity	1,716,193	1,613,354
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 2,712,686	$ 2,483,354

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANC_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Property, building and equipment, accumulated depreciation	$ 94,344	$ 82,721
Accumulated amortization	$ 18,701	$ 17,659
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	60,000,000	60,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	36,540,219	36,355,497
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	31,263,385	31,139,840
Treasury stock at cost, shares (in shares)	5,276,834	5,215,657

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMEN

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net service revenue	$ 565,451	$ 530,684	$ 1,636,193	$ 1,530,875
Revenue, Product and Service [Extensible List]			Service [Member]
Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization)	343,862	305,246	$ 972,006	933,160
Cost, Product and Service [Extensible List]			Service [Member]
Gross margin	221,589	225,438	$ 664,187	597,715
General and administrative expenses	176,444	161,463	506,754	469,903
Impairment of intangibles and other	0	22	937	622
Government stimulus (income) expense	0	44,435	0	0
Operating income	45,145	19,518	156,496	127,190
Interest expense	(1,135)	(431)	(1,541)	(4,040)
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	44,010	19,087	154,955	123,150
Income tax expense	10,150	4,595	32,909	23,181
Net income	33,860	14,492	122,046	99,969
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	6,126	(8)	22,010	18,753
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	$ 27,734	$ 14,500	$ 100,036	$ 81,216
Earnings per share:
Basic (usd per share)	$ 0.89	$ 0.47	$ 3.21	$ 2.61
Diluted (usd per share)	$ 0.88	$ 0.46	$ 3.18	$ 2.59
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	31,238	31,121	31,205	31,080
Diluted (in shares)	31,434	31,411	31,422	31,334

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Total	Common Stock	Treasury	Additional Paid-In Capital	Retained Earnings	Noncontrolling Interest Non Redeemable
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019		$ 1,507,251	$ 361	$ (60,060)	$ 949,321	$ 523,701	$ 93,928
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019			36,129,280	5,136,890
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	[1]	24,123				22,024	2,099
Acquired noncontrolling interest		2,880					2,880
Noncontrolling interest distributions		(2,093)					(2,093)
Purchase of additional controlling interest		(23,575)			(2,470)		(21,105)
Nonvested stock compensation		3,680			3,680
Issuance of vested stock		2	$ 2
Issuance of vested stock (in shares)			163,163
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax		(6,933)		$ (7,122)	189
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax (in shares)				59,390
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan (in shares)			4,663
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan		610			610
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2020		1,505,945	$ 363	$ (67,182)	951,330	545,725	75,709
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2020			36,297,106	5,196,280
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019		1,507,251	$ 361	$ (60,060)	949,321	523,701	93,928
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019			36,129,280	5,136,890
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020		1,571,586	$ 364	$ (68,845)	958,212	604,917	76,938
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020			36,351,416	5,214,894
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable		10,400
Beginning balance at Mar. 31, 2020		1,505,945	$ 363	$ (67,182)	951,330	545,725	75,709
Beginning balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2020			36,297,106	5,196,280
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	[1]	51,750				44,692	7,058
Noncontrolling interest distributions		(1,909)					(1,909)
Nonvested stock compensation		3,263			3,263
Issuance of vested stock (in shares)			19,846
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax		(1,139)		$ (950)	(189)
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax (in shares)				6,256
Exercise of options (in shares)			7,137	3,315
Exercise of options		(304)		$ (522)	218
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan (in shares)			3,730
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan		497			497
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2020		1,558,103	$ 363	$ (68,654)	955,119	590,417	80,858
Ending balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2020			36,327,819	5,205,851
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	[1]	13,730				14,500	(770)
Acquired noncontrolling interest		608					608
Noncontrolling interest distributions		(6,375)					(6,375)
Sale of noncontrolling interest		2,324			(293)		2,617
Nonvested stock compensation		4,190			4,190
Issuance of vested stock		1	$ 1
Issuance of vested stock (in shares)			10,994
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax		(966)		$ (966)	0
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax (in shares)				5,030
Exercise of options (in shares)			9,149	4,013
Exercise of options		(601)		$ 775	(1,376)
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan (in shares)			3,454
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan		572			572
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020		1,571,586	$ 364	$ (68,845)	958,212	604,917	76,938
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020			36,351,416	5,214,894
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable		700
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2020		1,613,354	$ 364	$ (69,011)	962,120	635,297	84,584
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020			36,355,497	5,215,657
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	[2]	39,128				34,659	4,469
Noncontrolling interest distributions		(2,417)					(2,417)
Purchase of additional controlling interest		(142)			(81)		(61)
Sale of noncontrolling interest		138					138
Nonvested stock compensation		3,513			3,513
Issuance of vested stock		1	$ 1
Issuance of vested stock (in shares)			148,447
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax		$ (9,541)		$ (9,541)
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax (in shares)				51,221
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan (in shares)		3,204	3,204
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan		$ 649			649
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2021		1,644,683	$ 365	$ (78,552)	966,201	669,956	86,713
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2021			36,507,148	5,266,878
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2020		1,613,354	$ 364	$ (69,011)	962,120	635,297	84,584
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020			36,355,497	5,215,657
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2021		1,716,193	$ 365	$ (80,605)	974,680	735,333	86,420
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2021			36,540,219	5,276,834
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable		9,127
Beginning balance at Mar. 31, 2021		1,644,683	$ 365	$ (78,552)	966,201	669,956	86,713
Beginning balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2021			36,507,148	5,266,878
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	[2]	42,875				37,643	5,232
Noncontrolling interest distributions		(4,660)					(4,660)
Purchase of additional controlling interest		(1,598)			(870)		(728)
Nonvested stock compensation		3,993			3,993
Issuance of vested stock (in shares)			15,531
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax		$ (1,213)		$ (1,213)	0
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax (in shares)				6,024
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan (in shares)		3,152	3,152
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan		$ 573			573
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2021		1,684,653	$ 365	$ (79,765)	969,897	707,599	86,557
Ending balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2021			36,525,831	5,272,902
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	[2]	30,916				27,734	3,182
Noncontrolling interest distributions		(5,052)					(5,052)
Sale of noncontrolling interest		1,650			(83)		1,733
Nonvested stock compensation		4,211			4,211
Issuance of vested stock (in shares)			10,943
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax		$ (840)		$ (840)
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax (in shares)				3,932
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan (in shares)		3,445	3,445
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan		$ 655			655
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2021		1,716,193	$ 365	$ (80,605)	$ 974,680	$ 735,333	$ 86,420
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2021			36,540,219	5,276,834
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable		$ 2,900
[1]	Net income excludes net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable of $0.7 million and $10.4 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. Noncontrolling interest-redeemable is reflected outside of permanent equity on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. See Note 8 of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
[2]	Net income excludes net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable of $2.9 million and $9.1 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021. Noncontrolling interest-redeemable is reflected outside of permanent equity on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. See Note 8 of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 122,046	$ 99,969
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization expense	14,899	15,601
Amortization of operating lease right of use asset	27,526	25,799
Stock-based compensation expense	11,717	11,133
Deferred income taxes	23,356	15,038
(Gain) loss on disposal of assets	(1,190)	291
Impairment of intangibles and other	937	622
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:
Receivables	(27,038)	(36,194)
Prepaid expenses	397	(1,487)
Other assets	(6,368)	(3,183)
Prepaid income taxes	(11,575)	(10,035)
Prepaid taxes	(12,509)	0
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	6,626	(17,085)
Salaries, wages, and benefits payable	(9,687)	25,913
Contract liabilities - deferred revenue	(141,629)	317,938
Other long term liabilities	0	33,632
Operating lease liabilities	(27,472)	(25,485)
Income taxes payable	(20,819)	2,721
Net amounts due to/from governmental entities	(833)	555
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(51,616)	455,743
Investing activities:
Purchases of property, building and equipment	(23,548)	(51,241)
Proceeds from sale of property, building and equipment	3,350	7,142
Cash received (paid) for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(383,475)	2,326
Proceeds from sale of an entity	1,531	0
Minority interest investments	(10,100)	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(412,242)	(41,773)
Financing activities:
Proceeds from line of credit	544,056	276,229
Payments on line of credit	(209,056)	(509,229)
Government stimulus advance	(93,257)	93,257
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	1,877	1,679
Payments on deferred financing fees	(2,855)	0
Noncontrolling interest distributions	(22,187)	(22,505)
Withholding taxes paid on stock-based compensation	(11,594)	(9,854)
Purchase of additional controlling interest	(2,113)	(23,575)
Sale of noncontrolling interest	1,934	2,120
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	206,805	(191,878)
Change in cash	(257,053)	222,092
Cash at beginning of period	286,569	31,672
Cash at end of period	29,516	253,764
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Interest paid	1,532	4,556
Income taxes paid	42,036	15,583
Non-Cash Operating Activity:
Operating right of use assets in exchange for lease obligations	41,776	25,633
Reduction to right of use assets and liabilities	(2,746)	0
Non-Cash Investing Activity:
Accrued capital expenditures	$ 1,807	$ 5,851

Basis of Presentation and Signi

Basis of Presentation and Significant Events	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Significant Events	Basis of Presentation and Significant Events Organization LHC Group, Inc. (the “Company”) is a health care provider specializing in the post-acute continuum of care. The Company provides services through five segments: home health, hospice, home and community-based services, facility-based services, the latter primarily through long-term acute care hospitals (“LTACHs”), and healthcare innovations services ("HCI"). As of September 30, 2021, the Company, through its wholly- and majority-owned subsidiaries, equity joint ventures, controlled affiliates, and management agreements operated 868 service locations in 35 states within the continental United States and the District of Columbia. COVID-19 Update SARS-CoV-2 ("COVID-19") continues to spread and various responses related to stay-at-home restrictions, travel restrictions, and other public health and safety measures continue to evolve. We communicate with our clinicians and other employees all updated policies and procedures as we monitor changes related to the pandemic. Policies and procedures related to social distancing and cleaning procedures remain in place as the safety of our patients and employees are vital. The effects of COVID-19 continue to materially impact our business. As a result, operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 may not be indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2021, and operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 may not be directly comparable to operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. CARES Act In response to COVID-19, the U.S. Government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act") on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act was passed to provide $100 billion of Provider Relief Funds for distribution to eligible providers who provided diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with a possible or actual case of COVID-19, specifically to reimburse providers for health care related expenses related to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19, preparations for treating cases of COVID-19 positive patients, and for lost revenues attributable to COVID-19. The CARES Act also provided financial hardship relief to Medicare providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to provide necessary funds when there is a disruption in Medicare claims submission and/or Medicare claims processing by distributing funds through the Accelerated and Advanced Payments Program ("CAAP"). In addition, the CARES Act suspended the 2% sequestration payment adjustments on Medicare patient claims with dates of service from May 1 through December 31, 2020, suspended the application of site-neutral payment for LTACH admissions that were admitted during the Public Health Emergency ("PHE"), and delayed payment of the employer portion of social security tax. On April 14, 2021, Congress passed legislation to continue the suspension of the 2% sequestration payment adjustments on Medicare patient claims with dates of service through December 31, 2021. On October 18, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services extended the PHE until January 16, 2022. Provider Relief Fund During the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, the Company received $93.3 million in payments from the Provider Relief Fund, which was recorded as a short-term liability in government stimulus advance in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company recognized $44.4 million of these funds during the six months ended June 30, 2020, which was recorded in government stimulus income in our condensed consolidated statements of income. The amount recognized of $44.4 million was subsequently reversed during the third quarter of 2020, such that the Company recognized no income from the Provider Relief Fund. The Company returned all Provider Relief Funds received of $93.3 million to the government during the nine months ended September 30, 2021. CAAP As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $318.0 million of accelerated payments under the CAAP, which was recorded in contract liabilities - deferred revenue i n our condensed consolidated balance sheets in accordance with Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("Topic 606") . On October 1, 2020, the repayment and recoupment terms for CAAP funds were amended by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act, which provides that recoupment will begin one year from the date the CAAP funds were received. Under these revised terms, recoupment of CAAP will occur under a tiered approach. The repayment terms begin one year starting from the date the CAAP funds were issued and continues 11 months, with CMS recouping the initial 25% of Medicare payments otherwise owed to the Company. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, $141.6 million was recouped by CMS and $176.3 million of contract liabilities - deferred revenue remains on our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2021. If any amount of CAAP funds that we received from CMS remain unpaid after the initial 11 month period, CMS will recoup 50% of Medicare payments otherwise owed to the Company during the following six months. Interest will begin accruing on any amount of the CAAP funds that we received from CMS that remain unpaid following those recoupment periods. CMS will issue a repayment letter to the Company for any such outstanding amounts, which must be paid in full within 30 days from the date of the letter. The Company intends to repay the full amount before any interest accrues. Other During the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized $6.8 million and $6.5 million of net service revenue, respectively, due to the suspension of the 2% sequestration payment adjustment. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized $19.7 million and $11.5 million of net service revenue, respectively, due to the suspension of the 2% sequestration payment adjustment. During the three months ended September 30, 2021, the Company recognized $5.7 million and $6.4 million of net service revenue, respectively, due to the suspension of LTACH site-neutral payments. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized $18.2 million and $11.1 million of net service revenue, respectively, due to the suspension of LTACH site-neutral payments. As of September 30, 2021, the Company deferred $51.8 million of employer social security taxes, $25.9 million of which was recorded in current liabilities - deferred employer payroll tax and $25.9 million of which was recorded in other long term liabilities on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. Unaudited Interim Financial Information The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the related unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of changes in equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, and related notes (collectively, these financial statements are referred to as the "interim financial statements" and together with the related notes are referred to herein as the “interim financial information”) have been prepared by the Company. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) have been included. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2021. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted from the interim financial information presented. This report should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 (the "2020 Form 10-K"). The 2020 Form 10-K was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 26, 2021, and includes information and disclosures not included herein.

Significant Accounting Policies

Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies	Significant Accounting Policies Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Critical Accounting Policies The Company’s most critical accounting policies relate to revenue recognition. Net Service Revenue Net service revenue from contracts with customers is recognized in the period the performance obligations are satisfied under the Company's contracts by transferring the requested services to patients in amounts that reflect the consideration to which is expected to be received in exchange for providing patient care, which is the transaction price allocated to the services provided in accordance with Topic 606 and ASU 2015-14 , Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date (collectively, "ASC 606"). Net service revenue is recognized as performance obligations are satisfied, which can vary depending on the type of services provided. The performance obligation is the delivery of patient care in accordance with the requested services outlined in physicians' orders, which are based on specific goals for each patient. The performance obligations are associated with contracts in duration of less than one year; therefore, the optional exemption provided by ASC 606 was elected resulting in the Company not being required to disclose the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied as of the end of the reporting period. The Company's unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied performance obligations are primarily completed when the patients are discharged and typically occur within days or weeks of the end of the period. The Company determines the transaction price based on gross charges for services provided, reduced by estimates for explicit and implicit price concessions. Explicit price concessions include contractual adjustments provided to patients and third-party payors. Implicit price concessions include discounts provided to self-pay, uninsured patients or other payors, adjustments resulting from regulatory reviews, audits, billing reviews and other matters. Subsequent changes to the estimate of the transaction price are recorded as adjustments to net service revenue in the period of change. Subsequent changes that are determined to be the result of an adverse change in the patient's ability to pay (i.e. change in credit risk) are recorded as a provision for doubtful accounts within general and administrative expenses. Explicit price concessions are recorded for the difference between our standard rates and the contracted rates to be realized from patients, third-party payors and others for services provided. Implicit price concessions are recorded for self-pay, uninsured patients and other payors by major payor class based on historical collection experience and current economic conditions, representing the difference between amounts billed and amounts expected to be collected. The Company assesses the ability to collect for the healthcare services provided at the time of patient admission based on the verification of the patient's insurance coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, and other commercial or managed care insurance programs. Amounts due from third-party payors, primarily commercial health insurers and government programs (Medicare and Medicaid), include variable consideration for retroactive revenue adjustments due to settlements of audits and reviews. The Company has determined estimates for price concessions related to regulatory reviews based on historical experience and success rates in the claim appeals and adjudication process. Revenue is recorded at amounts estimated to be realizable for services provided. The following table sets forth the percentage of net service revenue earned by category of payor for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Home health: Medicare 62.1 % 66.4 % 62.8 % 67.0 % Managed Care, Commercial, and Other 37.9 33.6 37.2 33.0 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % Hospice: Medicare 94.6 % 93.8 % 94.3 % 92.9 % Managed Care, Commercial, and Other 5.4 6.2 5.7 7.1 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % Home and community-based services: Medicaid 32.1 % 21.5 % 31.1 % 21.0 % Managed Care, Commercial, and Other 67.9 78.5 68.9 79.0 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % Facility-based services: Medicare 45.8 % 54.2 % 49.5 % 55.2 % Managed Care, Commercial, and Other 54.2 45.8 50.5 44.8 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % HCI: Medicare 6.0 % 11.1 % 11.4 % 17.9 % Managed Care, Commercial, and Other 94.0 88.9 88.6 82.1 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % Medicare The following describes the payment models in effect during the nine months ended September 30, 2021. Such payment models have been subject to temporary adjustments made by CMS in response to COVID-19 pandemic as described elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The 2% sequestration reduction adjustment was suspended for patient claims with dates of service that began May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021. Home Health Services The Company records revenue as services are provided under the Patient Driven Groupings Model ("PDGM"). For each 30-day period, the patient is classified into one of 432 home health resource groups prior to receiving services. Each 30-day period is placed into a subgroup falling under the following categories: (i) timing being early or late, (ii) admission source being community or institutional, (iii) one of 12 clinical groupings based on the patient's principal diagnosis, (iv) functional impairment level of low, medium, or high, and (v) a co-morbidity adjustment of none, low, or high based on the patient's secondary diagnoses. Each 30-day period payment from Medicare reflects base payment adjustments for case-mix and geographic wage differences. In addition, payments may reflect one of three retroactive adjustments to the total reimbursement: (a) an outlier payment if the patient’s care was unusually costly; (b) a low utilization adjustment whereby the number of visits is dependent on the clinical grouping; and/or (c) a partial payment if the patient transferred to another provider or from another provider before completing the episode. The retroactive adjustments outlined above are recognized in net service revenue when the event causing the adjustment occurs and during the period in which the services are provided to the patient. The Company reviews these adjustments to ensure that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the retroactive adjustments is subsequently resolved. Net service revenue and related patient accounts receivable are recorded at amounts estimated to be realized from Medicare for services rendered. Hospice The Company records revenue based upon the date of service at amounts equal to the estimated payment rates. The Company receives one of four predetermined daily rates based upon the level of care provided by the Company, which can be routine care, general inpatient care, continuous home care, and respite care. There are two separate payment rates for routine care: payment for the first 60 days of care and care beyond 60 days. In addition to the two routine rates, the Company may also receive a service intensity add-on ("SIA"). The SIA is based on visits made in the last seven days of life by a registered nurse or medical social worker for patients in a routine level of care. The performance obligation is the delivery of hospice services to the patient, as determined by a physician, each day the patient is on hospice care. Adjustments to Medicare revenue are made from regulatory reviews, audits, billing reviews and other matters. The Company estimates the impact of these adjustments based on our historical experience. Hospice payments are subject to variable consideration through an inpatient cap and an overall Medicare payment cap. The inpatient cap relates to individual programs receiving more than 20% of their 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,” determined by Medicare to be payment equal to 12 months of hospice care for the aggregate base of hospice patients, indexed for inflation. The determination for each cap is made annually based on the 12-month period ending on September 30 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, if any, in the reporting period. Facility-Based Services Gross revenue is recorded as services are provided under the LTACH prospective payment system. Each patient is assigned a long-term care diagnosis-related group. The Company is paid a predetermined fixed amount intended to reflect the average cost of treating a Medicare LTACH patient classified in that particular long-term care diagnosis-related group. For selected LTACH 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 LTACH claims paid. Similar to other Medicare prospective payment systems, the rate is also adjusted for geographic wage differences. Net service revenue adjustments resulting from reviews and audits of Medicare cost report settlements are considered implicit price concessions for LTACHs and are measured at expected value. Non-Medicare Revenues Other sources of net service revenue for all segments fall into Medicaid, managed care or other payors of the Company's services. Medicaid reimbursement is based on a predetermined fee schedule applied to each service provided. Therefore, revenue is recognized for Medicaid services as services are provided based on this fee schedule. The Company's managed care and other payors reimburse the Company based upon a predetermined fee schedule or an episodic basis, depending on the terms of the applicable contract. Accordingly, the Company recognizes revenue from managed care and other payors as services are provided, such costs are incurred, and estimates of expected payments are known for each different payor, thus the Company's revenue is recorded at the estimated transaction price. Contingent Service Revenues The HCI segment provides strategic health management services to Accountable Care Organizations ("ACOs") that have been approved to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program ("MSSP"). The HCI segment has service agreements with ACOs that provide for sharing of MSSP payments received by the ACO, if any. ACOs are legal entities that contract with CMS to provide services to the Medicare fee-for-service population for a specified annual period with the goal of providing better care for the individual, improving health for populations and lowering costs. ACOs share savings with CMS to the extent that the actual costs of serving assigned beneficiaries are below certain trended benchmarks of such beneficiaries and certain quality performance measures are achieved. The generation of shared savings is the performance obligation of each ACO, which only become certain upon the final issuance of unembargoed calculations by CMS, generally in the third quarter of each year. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded in its HCI segment $12.1 million and $9.6 million, respectively, related to 2020 and 2019 ACO respective service periods, as certain ACOs served by the HCI segment received a MSSP payment from CMS confirming the performance obligation has been met. Patient Accounts Receivable The Company reports patient accounts receivable from services rendered at their estimated transaction price, which includes price concessions based on the amounts expected from payors. The Company's patient accounts receivable is uncollateralized and primarily consist of amounts due from Medicare, Medicaid, other third-party payors, and to a lesser degree patients. The credit risk from other payors is limited due to the significance of Medicare as the primary payor. The Company believes the credit risk associated with its Medicare accounts 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 from any particular payor that would subject it to any significant credit risk in the collection of patient accounts receivable. Earnings Per Share Basic per share information is computed by dividing the relevant amounts from the condensed consolidated statements of income by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period, under the treasury stock method. Diluted per share information is also computed using the treasury stock method, by dividing the relevant amounts from the condensed consolidated statements of income by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding plus potentially dilutive shares. The following table sets forth shares used in the computation of basic and diluted per share information and, with respect to the data provided for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 (amounts in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation 31,238 31,121 31,205 31,080 Effect of dilutive potential shares: Nonvested stock 196 290 217 254 Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation 31,434 31,411 31,422 31,334 Anti-dilutive shares 6 — 118 5 Assets Held for Sale As of December 31, 2020, the Company's assets held for sale was $1.9 million, which consisted of one hospice facility in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Company sold the property during the third quarter of 2021 for $3.2 million. The gain on the sale of the property of $1.2 million was recorded in general and administrative expenses in our condensed consolidated statements of income. Investments During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company invested $10.0 million and became a minority owner in a healthcare analytics company and invested $0.1 million in an investment fund focused on minority-owned businesses, which were recorded in other assets in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. These investments were accounted for under the cost method of accounting as the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence in connection with its minority ownership positions. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Simplifications to accounting for income taxes, which removes certain exceptions to the general principles of Topic 740 and adds guidance to reduce complexity in accounting for income taxes. The Company adopted the new guidance effective January 1, 2021. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact to the Company.

Acquisitions, Divestiture and J

Acquisitions, Divestiture and Joint Venture Activities	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Acquisitions, Divestiture and Joint Venture Activities	Acquisitions, Divestiture and Joint Venture Activities Acquisitions On July 1, 2021, the Company purchased Heart n' Home Hospice for $50.1 million, which included seven wholly-owned hospice locations in Idaho and two wholly-owned hospice locations in Oregon. In addition, the Company purchased Casa de la Luz on July 1, 2021 for $48.0 million, which included two wholly-owned hospice and palliative care locations in Arizona. On September 1, 2021, the Company purchased Heart of Hospice for $277.1 million, which included 24 wholly-owned hospice locations in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. In separate acquisitions, the Company acquired the majority-ownership of two home health agencies and one hospice agency during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 for an aggregate purchase price $10.3 million. The purchase prices were determined based on the Company's analysis of comparable acquisitions and the target market's potential future cash flows. 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 acquisitions were accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. Accordingly, the accompanying interim financial information includes the results of operations of the acquired entities from the date of acquisition. Transaction costs associated with acquisitions are expensed as incurred. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company incurred $6.1 million in acquisition-related transaction costs, which was recorded in the consolidated statements of income as general and administrative expenses. The Company's preliminary valuation analysis of identifiable assets and liabilities assumed for Heart n' Home Hospice and Heart of Hospice is in accordance with the requirements of ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations. The final determination of the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed will be completed in accordance with the applicable accounting guidance. The following table summarizes the preliminary amounts of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their acquisition dates, as well as their fair value at the acquisition dates and the noncontrolling interest acquired during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 (amounts in thousands): Consideration Cash $ 384,827 Fair value of total consideration transferred Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed: Cash $ 1,352 Patient accounts receivable 14,657 Other receivables 205 Prepaid expenses 387 Other current assets 155 Property and equipment 1,976 Trade names 22,070 Certificates of need/licenses 13,604 Non-compete agreements 1,821 Operating lease right of use asset 7,933 Other assets 84 Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities (9,764) Salaries, wages, and benefits payable (4,045) Current operating lease liabilities (2,527) Amounts due to government entities (102) Deferred employer payroll tax (1,692) Long-term operating lease liabilities (5,407) Total identifiable assets and liabilities $ 40,707 Noncontrolling interest $ 113 Goodwill, including noncontrolling interest of $78 $ 344,233 Trade names and certificates of need/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. Trade names are valued using the relief from royalty method, a form of the income approach. Certificates of need are valued using the replacement cost approach based on registration fees and opportunity costs. Licenses are valued based on the estimated direct costs associated with recreating the asset, including opportunity costs based on an income approach. In the case of states with a moratorium in place, the licenses are valued using the multi-period excess earnings method. Noncontrolling interest is recorded at fair value. Divestiture During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company sold its controlling membership interests in a home health agency previously operated as an equity joint venture and sold its pharmacy location which was wholly-owned. The total consideration for these controlling interest sales was $1.5 million and resulted in a loss of $0.1 million, which was accounted for as a loss on the sale of entities and recorded in general and administrative expenses. Joint Venture Activities During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company purchased additional controlling membership interest in four of our equity joint venture partnerships, whereby the agencies became wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company. The total consideration for these additional controlling interest purchases was $2.1 million. The transactions were accounted for as equity transactions. During the nine months ended September 30, 202 1, the Company sold noncontrolling membership interest in two home health agencies. T he total consideration of the sales of noncontrolling membership interest was $1.9 million. The transactions were accounted for as equity transactions.

Goodwill and Intangibles

Goodwill and Intangibles	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangibles	Goodwill and Intangibles The changes in recorded goodwill and intangible assets by reporting unit for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands): Home health reporting unit Hospice Home and community-based services Facility-based HCI reporting unit Total Goodwill: Balance as of December 31, 2020 $ 884,000 $ 151,742 $ 166,773 $ 15,770 $ 40,862 $ 1,259,147 Acquisitions 7,057 336,844 254 — — 344,155 Noncontrolling interests 78 — — — — 78 Disposals (20) — — — — (20) Balance as of September 30, 2021 $ 891,115 $ 488,586 $ 167,027 $ 15,770 $ 40,862 $ 1,603,360 Intangible assets: Balance as of December 31, 2020 $ 226,004 $ 44,732 $ 24,208 $ 5,311 $ 15,100 $ 315,355 Acquisitions 1,478 35,971 46 — — 37,495 Amortization (354) (242) (7) (4) (436) (1,043) Disposals (1,279) — — — — (1,279) Balance as of September 30, 2021 $ 225,849 $ 80,461 $ 24,247 $ 5,307 $ 14,664 $ 350,528 The Company did record impairments of goodwill and intangible assets related to the closure of underperforming locations. Goodwill impairment of $0.02 million and Medicare licenses impairment of $0.9 million was recorded during the nine months ended September 30, 2021. This was recorded in impairment of intangibles and other on the Company's condensed consolidated statements of income. The amount of disposal of goodwill was determined using prices of comparable businesses in the market. The amount of disposal of the Medicare licenses was its carrying value at the time of closure. In addition, the Company divested a certificate of need of $0.4 million, which was accounted for as a loss on the sale of an entity and recorded in general and administrative expenses. The following tables summarize the changes in intangible assets during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (amounts in thousands): 2021 2020 Indefinite-lived intangible assets: Trade names $ 190,743 $ 168,700 Certificates of Need/Licenses 147,338 135,013 Net total $ 338,081 $ 303,713 Definite-lived intangible assets: Trade names Gross carrying amount $ 10,238 $ 10,212 Accumulated amortization (9,575) (9,480) Net total $ 663 $ 732 Non-compete agreements Gross carrying amount $ 9,088 $ 7,267 Accumulated amortization (6,899) (6,387) Net total $ 2,189 $ 880 Customer relationships Gross carrying amount $ 11,822 $ 11,822 Accumulated amortization (2,227) (1,792) Net total $ 9,595 $ 10,030 Total definite-lived intangible assets Gross carrying amount $ 31,148 $ 29,301 Accumulated amortization (18,701) (17,659) Net total $ 12,447 $ 11,642 Total intangible assets: Gross carrying amount $ 369,229 $ 333,014 Accumulated amortization (18,701) (17,659) Net total $ 350,528 $ 315,355 Remaining useful lives for trade names, customer relationships, and non-compete agreements were 8.1, 16.5, and 2.8 years, respectively, at September 30, 2021. Similar periods at December 31, 2020 were 8.8, 17.3, and 2.9 years for trade names, customer relationships, and non-compete agreements, respectively. Amortization expense was $0.4 million and $0.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and $1.0 million and $0.9 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Amortization expense was recorded in general and administrative expenses.

Debt

Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	Debt Credit Facility On March 30, 2018, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., which was effective on April 2, 2018 (the "Credit Agreement"). The Credit Agreement provided a senior, secured revolving line of credit commitment with a maximum principal borrowing limit of $500.0 million, which included an additional $200.0 million accordion expansion feature, and a letter of credit sub-limit equal to $50.0 million. The expiration date of the Credit Agreement was March 30, 2023. On August 3, 2021, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Senior Credit Facility (the "2021 Amended Credit Agreement"), which amends and restates in its entirety the Credit Agreement. The 2021 Amended Credit Agreement provides a senior, secured revolving line of credit commitment with a maximum principal borrowing limit of $800.0 million, which includes an additional $500.0 million accordion expansion, and a letter of credit sub-limit equal to $75.0 million. The expiration date of the 2021 Amended Credit Agreement is August 3, 2026. The Company’s obligations under the 2021 Amended Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (subject to customary exclusions), which assets include the Company’s equity ownership of its wholly-owned subsidiaries and its equity ownership in joint venture entities. The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries also guarantee the obligations of the Company under the 2021 Amended Credit Agreement. Revolving loans under the 2021 Amended Credit Agreement bear interest at, as selected by the Company, at either (i) the prevailing London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") (with interest periods of one, three or six months at the Company's option) plus a spread of 1.25% to 2.0% based on the Company's quarterly consolidated Leverage Ratio or (ii) the prevailing prime or base rate plus a spread of 0.25% to 1.00% based on the Company's quarterly consolidated Leverage Ratio. Swing line loans bear interest at the Base Rate. The Company is limited to 15 Eurodollar borrowings outstanding at any time. The Company is required to pay a commitment fee for the unused commitments at rates ranging from 0.15% to 0.30% per annum depending upon the Company’s quarterly consolidated Leverage Ratio. The Base Rate as of September 30, 2021 was 3.75% and the LIBOR rate was 1.63%. As of September 30, 2021, the effective interest rate on outstanding borrowings under the 2021 Amended Credit Agreement was 1.63%. On March 5, 2021, the ICE Benchmark Administration, the administrator of LIBOR, announced its intention to cease the publication of LIBOR settings for 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month LIBOR borrowings immediately on June 30, 2023. Effective October 25, 2021, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A transitioned our 2021 Amended Credit Agreement to an alternate rate to CME Term SOFR Reference Rate ("SOFR"), which is administered by CME Group Benchmark Administration Ltd ("CME"). Due to the differences observed between LIBOR rates and SOFR published rates, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. will use a credit spread adjustment ("CSA") in order to minimize value transfer and leave the existing margin applicable to our 2021 Amended Credit Agreement. The CSA used by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. is based on the average of the differences between LIBOR and SOFR over a 12-month period and will be added to SOFR. As of September 30, 2021, the Company had $355.0 million drawn, letters of credit issued in the amount of $25.4 million, and $419.6 million of remaining borrowing capacity available under the 2021 Amended Credit Agreement. At December 31, 2020, the Company had $20.0 million drawn and letters of credit issued in the amount of $25.4 million under the Credit Facility.

Stockholder's Equity

Stockholder's Equity	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Equity [Abstract]
Stockholder's Equity	Stockholder’s Equity Equity Based Awards The 2018 Incentive Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. The total number of shares of the Company's common stock originally reserved were 2,210,544 shares and a total of 1,747,099 shares are currently available for issuance. A variety of discretionary awards for employees, officers, directors, and consultants are authorized under the 2018 Incentive Plan, including incentive or non-qualified stock options and restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance-based awards. All awards must be evidenced by a written award certificate which will include the provisions specified by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee determines the exercise price for stock options, which cannot be less than the fair market value of the Company’s common stock as of the date of grant. Share Based Compensation Nonvested Stock Independent directors are granted shares of common stock under the Second Amended and Restated 2005 Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company granted 7,200 nonvested shares of common stock to independent directors, which shares will vest 100% on the one year anniversary date. In addition, the Company granted 3,500 nonvested shares of common stock to the Company's Lead Director, which shares will vest one-third on the date of grant and one-third on each of the first two anniversaries of the grant date. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, employees and a consultant were granted 109,665 and 5,735 shares, respectively, of nonvested shares of common stock pursuant to the 2018 Incentive Plan. The shares vest over a period of five years, conditioned on continued employment and in accordance with the consulting agreement. The fair value of nonvested shares of common stock is determined based on the closing trading price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The following table represents the share grants activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2021: Restricted stock Options Number of shares Weighted Number of shares Weighted Share grants outstanding as of December 31, 2020 469,631 $ 89.69 74,235 $ 42.07 Granted 126,100 186.15 — — Vested or exercised (174,921) 188.48 — — Share grants outstanding as of September 30, 2021 420,810 $ 122.25 74,235 $ 42.07 As of September 30, 2021, there was $41.4 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested shares of common stock granted. That cost is expected to be recognized over the weighted average period of 3.03 years. The Company records compensation expense related to nonvested stock awards at the grant date for shares of common stock that are awarded fully vested, and over the vesting term on a straight-line basis for shares of common stock that vest over time. The Company estimates forfeitures at the time of grant and revises the estimate in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ to ensure that total compensation expense recognized is at least equal to the value of vested awards. The Company recorded $11.7 million and $11.1 million of compensation expense related to nonvested stock grants for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Employee Stock Purchase Plan In 2006, the Company adopted the Employee Stock Purchase Plan whereby eligible employees may purchase the Company’s common stock at 95% of the market price on the last day of the calendar quarter. There were 250,000 shares of common stock initially reserved for the plan. In 2013, the Company adopted the Amended and Restated Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which reserved an additional 250,000 shares of common stock to the plan. The table below details the shares of common stock issued during 2021: Number of Per share Shares available as of December 31, 2020 118,136 Shares issued during the three months ended March 31, 2021 3,204 $ 202.66 Shares issued during the three months ended June 30, 2021 3,152 $ 181.65 Shares issued during the three months ended September 30, 2021 3,445 $ 190.25 Shares available as of September 30, 2021 108,335 Treasury Stock

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Contingencies The Company provides services in a highly regulated industry and is a party to various proceedings and regulatory and other governmental and internal audits and investigations in the ordinary course of business (including audits by Zone Program Integrity Contractors ("ZPICs"), Unified Program Integrity Contractors ("UPICs"), and Recovery Audit Contractors ("RACs") and investigations resulting from the Company's obligation to self-report suspected violations of law). Management cannot predict the ultimate outcome of any regulatory and other governmental and internal audits and investigations. While such audits and investigations are the subject of administrative appeals, the appeals process, even if successful, may take several years to resolve. The Department of Justice, CMS, or other federal and state enforcement and regulatory agencies may conduct additional investigations related to the Company's businesses. These audits and investigations have caused and could potentially continue to cause delays in collections, recoupments from governmental payors. Currently, the Company has recorded $16.9 million in its condensed consolidated balance sheets in other assets as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, which are due from government payors related to the disputed finding of pending appeals of ZPIC audits. Additionally, these audits may subject the Company to sanctions, damages, extrapolation of damage findings, additional recoupments, fines, and other penalties (some of which may not be covered by insurance), which may, either individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and financial condition. We are involved in various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Although the results of litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe the outcome of pending litigation will not have a material adverse effect, after considering the effect of our insurance coverage, on our consolidated financial information. Legal fees related to all legal matters are expensed as incurred. Joint Venture Buy/Sell Provisions Most of the Company’s joint ventures include a buy/sell option that grants to the Company and its joint venture partners the right to require the other joint venture party to either purchase all of the exercising member’s membership interests or sell to the exercising member all of the non-exercising member’s membership interest, at the non-exercising member’s option, within 30 days of the receipt of notice of the exercise of the buy/sell option. In some instances, the purchase price is based on a multiple of the historical or future earnings before income taxes and depreciation and amortization of the equity joint venture at the time the buy/sell option is exercised. In other instances, the buy/sell purchase price will be negotiated by the partners and subject to a fair market valuation process. The Company has not received notice from any joint venture partners of their intent to exercise the terms of the buy/sell agreement nor has the Company notified any joint venture partners of its intent to exercise the terms of the buy/sell agreement. Compliance The laws and regulations governing the Company’s operations, along with the terms of participation in various government programs, regulate how the Company does business, the services offered and its interactions with patients and the public. These laws and regulations, and their interpretations, are subject to frequent change. Changes in existing laws or regulations, or their interpretations, or the enactment of new laws or regulations could materially and adversely affect the Company’s operations and financial condition. The Company is subject to various routine and non-routine governmental reviews, audits and investigations. In recent years, federal and state civil and criminal enforcement agencies have heightened and coordinated their oversight efforts related to the health care industry, including referral practices, cost reporting, billing practices, joint ventures and other financial relationships among health care providers. Violation of the laws governing the Company’s operations, or changes in the interpretation of those laws, could result in the imposition of fines, civil or criminal penalties and/or termination of the Company’s rights to participate in federal and state-sponsored programs and suspension or revocation of the Company’s licenses. The Company believes that it is in material compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Noncontrolling interests

Noncontrolling interests	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Noncontrolling interests	Noncontrolling interests The Company classifies noncontrolling interests of its joint venture parties based upon a review of the legal provisions governing the redemption of such interests. In each of the Company’s joint ventures, those provisions are embodied within the joint venture’s operating agreement. For joint ventures with operating agreement provisions that establish an obligation for the Company to purchase the third-party partners’ noncontrolling interests other than as a result of events that lead to a liquidation of the joint venture, such noncontrolling interests are classified as redeemable noncontrolling interests in temporary equity. For joint ventures with operating agreement provisions that establish an obligation that the Company purchase the third party partners’ noncontrolling interests, but which obligation is triggered by events that lead to a liquidation of the joint venture, such noncontrolling interests are classified as nonredeemable noncontrolling interests in permanent equity. Additionally, for joint ventures with operating agreement provisions that do not establish an obligation for the Company to purchase the third-party partners’ noncontrolling interests (e.g., where the Company has the option, but not the obligation, to purchase the third-party partners’ noncontrolling interests), such noncontrolling interests are classified as nonredeemable noncontrolling interests in permanent equity. The Company’s equity joint ventures that are classified as redeemable noncontrolling interests are subject to operating agreement provisions that require the Company to purchase the noncontrolling partner’s interest upon the occurrence of certain triggering events, which are defined as the bankruptcy of the partner or the partner’s exclusion from the Medicare or Medicaid programs. These triggering events and the related repurchase provisions are specific to each redeemable equity joint venture, since the triggering of a repurchase obligation for any one redeemable noncontrolling interest in an equity joint venture does not necessarily impact any of the other redeemable noncontrolling interests in other equity joint ventures. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event requiring the purchase of a redeemable noncontrolling interest, the Company would be required to purchase the noncontrolling partner’s interest based upon a valuation methodology set forth in the applicable joint venture agreement. Redeemable noncontrolling interests and nonredeemable noncontrolling interests are initially recorded at their fair value as of the closing date of the transaction establishing the joint venture. Such fair values are determined using various accepted valuation methods, including the income approach, the market approach, the cost approach, and a combination of one or more of these approaches. A number of facts and circumstances concerning the operation of the joint venture are evaluated for each transaction, including (but not limited to) the ability to choose management, control over acquiring or liquidating assets, and controlling the joint venture’s strategy and direction, in order to determine the fair value of the noncontrolling interest. Based upon the Company’s evaluation of the redemption provisions concerning redeemable noncontrolling interests as of September 30, 2021, the Company determined in accordance with authoritative accounting guidance that it was not probable that an event otherwise requiring redemption of any redeemable noncontrolling interest would occur (i.e., the date for such event was not set or such event is not certain to occur). Therefore, none of the redeemable noncontrolling interests were identified as mandatorily redeemable interests at such times, and the Company did not record any values in respect of any mandatorily redeemable interests. Subsequent to the closing date of the transaction establishing the joint venture, the Company records adjustments to the carrying amounts of noncontrolling interests during each reporting period to reflect (a) comprehensive income (loss) attributed to each noncontrolling interest, which is calculated by multiplying the noncontrolling interest percentage by the comprehensive income (loss) of the joint venture’s operations, (b) dividends paid to the noncontrolling interest partner, and (c) any other transactions that increase or decrease the Company’s ownership interest in each joint venture, as a result of which the Company retains its controlling interest. If the Company determines that, based upon its analysis as of the end of each reporting period in accordance with authoritative accounting guidance, that it is not probable that an event would occur to otherwise require the redemption of a redeemable noncontrolling interest (i.e., the date for such event is not set or such event is not certain to occur), then the Company does not adjust the recorded amount of such redeemable noncontrolling interest. The carrying amount of each redeemable equity instrument presented in temporary equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 is not less than the initial amount reported for each instrument. The following table summarizes the activity of noncontrolling interest-redeemable for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 (amounts in thousands): Balance as of December 31, 2020 $ 18,921 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable 9,127 Noncontrolling interest-redeemable distributions (10,058) Acquired noncontrolling interest-redeemable 113 Purchase of controlling interest (373) Balance as of September 30, 2021 $ 17,730

Leases

Leases	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Leases [Abstract]
Leases	Leases The Company determines if a contract contains a lease at inception date. The Company's leases are operating leases, primarily for office and office equipment, that expire at various dates over the next five years. The facility-based leases have renewal options for periods ranging from one Payments due under operating leases include fixed and variable payments. These variable payments for the Company's office leases can include operating expenses, utilities, property taxes, insurance, common area maintenance, and other facility-related expense. Additionally, any leases with terms less than one year were not recognized as operating lease right of use assets or payables for short term leases in accordance with the election of ‘package of practical expedient’ under ASU 2016-02. The Company recognizes operating lease right of use assets and operating lease payable based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments at the lease commencement date. The Company's leases do not provide implicit rates. Therefore, the Company used an incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date in determining the present value of future payments. As of September 30, 2021, the weighted-average remaining lease term was 3.97 years and weighted-average discount rate was 4.24%. The following table summarizes the operating lease right of use assets and related lease payables in our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (amounts in thousands): September 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 Operating lease right of use asset $ 111,550 $ 100,046 Current operating lease liabilities 35,964 32,676 Long-term operating lease liabilities 78,445 70,275 The components of lease costs for operating leases for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 were as follows (amounts in thousands): Three months ended September 30, Nine months ended September 30, 2021 2020 2021 2020 Operating lease cost $ 12,791 $ 11,973 $ 37,096 $ 34,921 Short-term lease cost 927 743 2,697 2,232 Variable lease cost 997 999 3,058 2,851 Total lease costs $ 14,715 $ 13,715 $ 42,851 $ 40,004 Maturities of operating lease liabilities as of September 30, 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands): Month ending September 30, 2021 $ 10,650 2022 37,918 2023 28,922 2024 20,080 Thereafter 26,578 Total future minimum lease payments 124,148 Less: Imputed interest (9,739) Total $ 114,409

Fair Value of Financial Instrum

Fair Value of Financial Instruments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Fair Value of Financial InstrumentsThe carrying amounts of the Company’s cash, receivables, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair values because of their short maturity.

Segment Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment Information The Company's reporting segments include (1) home health services, (2) hospice services, (3) home and community-based services, (4) facility-based services, and (5) HCI. The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies, as described in Note 2 of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Reportable segments have been identified based upon how management has organized the business by services provided to customers and how the chief operating decision maker manages the business and allocates resources, consistent with the criteria in ASC 280, Segment Reporting. The following tables summarize the Company’s segment information for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 (amounts in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 Home health services Hospice services Home and community-based services Facility-based services HCI Total Net service revenue $ 386,699 $ 82,653 $ 45,800 $ 32,415 $ 17,884 $ 565,451 Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 230,839 51,631 34,386 23,725 3,281 343,862 General and administrative expenses 126,695 22,548 11,764 11,050 4,387 176,444 Operating income (loss) 29,165 8,474 (350) (2,360) 10,216 45,145 Interest expense (811) (139) (109) (54) (22) (1,135) Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 28,354 8,335 (459) (2,414) 10,194 44,010 Income tax expense (benefit) 6,407 1,874 (99) (554) 2,522 10,150 Net income (loss) 21,947 6,461 (360) (1,860) 7,672 33,860 Less net income (loss) attributable to non controlling interests 5,157 1,085 77 (187) (6) 6,126 Net income (loss) attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholder $ 16,790 $ 5,376 $ (437) $ (1,673) $ 7,678 $ 27,734 Total assets $ 1,632,670 $ 681,954 $ 239,452 $ 83,276 $ 75,334 $ 2,712,686 Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Home health services Hospice services Home and community-based services Facility-based services HCI Total Net service revenue $ 373,450 $ 59,801 $ 48,387 $ 33,344 $ 15,702 $ 530,684 Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 205,523 37,180 36,664 22,213 3,666 305,246 General and administrative expenses 118,792 16,668 10,937 11,439 3,627 161,463 Impairment of intangibles and other 22 — — — — 22 Government stimulus (income) expense 35,019 4,731 2,865 1,656 164 44,435 Operating income (loss) 14,094 1,222 (2,079) (1,964) 8,245 19,518 Interest expense (310) (51) (37) (22) (11) (431) Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 13,784 1,171 (2,116) (1,986) 8,234 19,087 Income tax expense (benefit) 3,403 247 (440) (435) 1,820 4,595 Net income (loss) 10,381 924 (1,676) (1,551) 6,414 14,492 Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests (157) 321 (153) (12) (7) (8) Net income (loss) attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholders $ 10,538 $ 603 $ (1,523) $ (1,539) $ 6,421 $ 14,500 Total assets $ 1,721,278 $ 277,358 $ 263,414 $ 108,118 $ 86,168 $ 2,456,336 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 Home health services Hospice services Home and community-based services Facility-based services HCI Total Net service revenue $ 1,157,061 $ 209,191 $ 143,332 $ 96,814 $ 29,795 $ 1,636,193 Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 663,137 129,848 103,941 65,360 9,720 972,006 General and administrative expenses 369,337 58,789 35,216 33,213 10,199 506,754 Impairment of intangibles and other 937 — — — — 937 Operating income (loss) 123,650 20,554 4,175 (1,759) 9,876 156,496 Interest expense (1,099) (195) (143) (73) (31) (1,541) Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 122,551 20,359 4,032 (1,832) 9,845 154,955 Income tax expense (benefit) 26,003 4,221 889 (649) 2,445 32,909 Net income (loss) 96,548 16,138 3,143 (1,183) 7,400 122,046 Less net income (loss) attributable to non controlling interests 17,506 3,308 441 792 (37) 22,010 Net income (loss) attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholder $ 79,042 $ 12,830 $ 2,702 $ (1,975) $ 7,437 $ 100,036 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Home health services Hospice services Home and community-based services Facility-based services HCI Total Net service revenue $ 1,081,143 $ 181,387 $ 144,526 $ 96,664 $ 27,155 $ 1,530,875 Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 631,109 112,485 113,864 64,340 11,362 933,160 General and administrative expenses 345,024 49,560 33,520 31,984 9,815 469,903 Impairment of intangibles and other 22 600 — — — 622 Government stimulus (income) expense — — — — — — Operating income (loss) 104,988 18,742 (2,858) 340 5,978 127,190 Interest expense (2,804) (451) (382) (288) (115) (4,040) Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 102,184 18,291 (3,240) 52 5,863 123,150 Income tax expense (benefit) 19,499 3,294 (658) (261) 1,307 23,181 Net income (loss) 82,685 14,997 (2,582) 313 4,556 99,969 Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 14,371 3,452 (275) 1,228 (23) 18,753 Net income (loss) attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholders $ 68,314 $ 11,545 $ (2,307) $ (915) $ 4,579 $ 81,216

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The effective tax rate for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 benefited from $2.4 million of excess tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation arrangements. U.S. GAAP prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the accounting and financial statement disclosure of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The evaluation of a tax position is a two-step process. The first step requires the Company to determine whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination based on the technical merits of the position. The second step requires the Company to recognize in the financial statements each tax position that meets the more likely than not criteria, measured at the amount of benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized. The Company’s unrecognized tax benefits would affect the tax rate, if recognized. The Company

Subsequent Events

Subsequent Events	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events On October 1, 2021, the Company purchased one wholly- owned home health agency and three wholly-owned hospice agencies for total consideration of $7.5 million. On November 1, 2021, the Company purchased Brookdale Health Care Services' agencies from the recently formed home health, hospice, and outpatient therapy venture between HCA Healthcare and Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. The wholly-owned purchased agencies included 23 home health locations, 11 hospice locations, and 13 therapy agencies across 22 states. Total consideration for this acquisition was $197.0 million, which was funded on November 1, 2021.

Significant Accounting Polici_2

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, 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.
Net Service Revenue	Net Service Revenue Net service revenue from contracts with customers is recognized in the period the performance obligations are satisfied under the Company's contracts by transferring the requested services to patients in amounts that reflect the consideration to which is expected to be received in exchange for providing patient care, which is the transaction price allocated to the services provided in accordance with Topic 606 and ASU 2015-14 , Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date (collectively, "ASC 606"). Net service revenue is recognized as performance obligations are satisfied, which can vary depending on the type of services provided. The performance obligation is the delivery of patient care in accordance with the requested services outlined in physicians' orders, which are based on specific goals for each patient. The performance obligations are associated with contracts in duration of less than one year; therefore, the optional exemption provided by ASC 606 was elected resulting in the Company not being required to disclose the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied as of the end of the reporting period. The Company's unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied performance obligations are primarily completed when the patients are discharged and typically occur within days or weeks of the end of the period. The Company determines the transaction price based on gross charges for services provided, reduced by estimates for explicit and implicit price concessions. Explicit price concessions include contractual adjustments provided to patients and third-party payors. Implicit price concessions include discounts provided to self-pay, uninsured patients or other payors, adjustments resulting from regulatory reviews, audits, billing reviews and other matters. Subsequent changes to the estimate of the transaction price are recorded as adjustments to net service revenue in the period of change. Subsequent changes that are determined to be the result of an adverse change in the patient's ability to pay (i.e. change in credit risk) are recorded as a provision for doubtful accounts within general and administrative expenses. Explicit price concessions are recorded for the difference between our standard rates and the contracted rates to be realized from patients, third-party payors and others for services provided. Implicit price concessions are recorded for self-pay, uninsured patients and other payors by major payor class based on historical collection experience and current economic conditions, representing the difference between amounts billed and amounts expected to be collected. The Company assesses the ability to collect for the healthcare services provided at the time of patient admission based on the verification of the patient's insurance coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, and other commercial or managed care insurance programs. Amounts due from third-party payors, primarily commercial health insurers and government programs (Medicare and Medicaid), include variable consideration for retroactive revenue adjustments due to settlements of audits and reviews. The Company has determined estimates for price concessions related to regulatory reviews based on historical experience and success rates in the claim appeals and adjudication process. Revenue is recorded at amounts estimated to be realizable for services provided. Medicare The following describes the payment models in effect during the nine months ended September 30, 2021. Such payment models have been subject to temporary adjustments made by CMS in response to COVID-19 pandemic as described elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The 2% sequestration reduction adjustment was suspended for patient claims with dates of service that began May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021. Home Health Services The Company records revenue as services are provided under the Patient Driven Groupings Model ("PDGM"). For each 30-day period, the patient is classified into one of 432 home health resource groups prior to receiving services. Each 30-day period is placed into a subgroup falling under the following categories: (i) timing being early or late, (ii) admission source being community or institutional, (iii) one of 12 clinical groupings based on the patient's principal diagnosis, (iv) functional impairment level of low, medium, or high, and (v) a co-morbidity adjustment of none, low, or high based on the patient's secondary diagnoses. Each 30-day period payment from Medicare reflects base payment adjustments for case-mix and geographic wage differences. In addition, payments may reflect one of three retroactive adjustments to the total reimbursement: (a) an outlier payment if the patient’s care was unusually costly; (b) a low utilization adjustment whereby the number of visits is dependent on the clinical grouping; and/or (c) a partial payment if the patient transferred to another provider or from another provider before completing the episode. The retroactive adjustments outlined above are recognized in net service revenue when the event causing the adjustment occurs and during the period in which the services are provided to the patient. The Company reviews these adjustments to ensure that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the retroactive adjustments is subsequently resolved. Net service revenue and related patient accounts receivable are recorded at amounts estimated to be realized from Medicare for services rendered. Hospice The Company records revenue based upon the date of service at amounts equal to the estimated payment rates. The Company receives one of four predetermined daily rates based upon the level of care provided by the Company, which can be routine care, general inpatient care, continuous home care, and respite care. There are two separate payment rates for routine care: payment for the first 60 days of care and care beyond 60 days. In addition to the two routine rates, the Company may also receive a service intensity add-on ("SIA"). The SIA is based on visits made in the last seven days of life by a registered nurse or medical social worker for patients in a routine level of care. The performance obligation is the delivery of hospice services to the patient, as determined by a physician, each day the patient is on hospice care. Adjustments to Medicare revenue are made from regulatory reviews, audits, billing reviews and other matters. The Company estimates the impact of these adjustments based on our historical experience. Hospice payments are subject to variable consideration through an inpatient cap and an overall Medicare payment cap. The inpatient cap relates to individual programs receiving more than 20% of their 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,” determined by Medicare to be payment equal to 12 months of hospice care for the aggregate base of hospice patients, indexed for inflation. The determination for each cap is made annually based on the 12-month period ending on September 30 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, if any, in the reporting period. Facility-Based Services Gross revenue is recorded as services are provided under the LTACH prospective payment system. Each patient is assigned a long-term care diagnosis-related group. The Company is paid a predetermined fixed amount intended to reflect the average cost of treating a Medicare LTACH patient classified in that particular long-term care diagnosis-related group. For selected LTACH 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 LTACH claims paid. Similar to other Medicare prospective payment systems, the rate is also adjusted for geographic wage differences. Net service revenue adjustments resulting from reviews and audits of Medicare cost report settlements are considered implicit price concessions for LTACHs and are measured at expected value. Non-Medicare Revenues Other sources of net service revenue for all segments fall into Medicaid, managed care or other payors of the Company's services. Medicaid reimbursement is based on a predetermined fee schedule applied to each service provided. Therefore, revenue is recognized for Medicaid services as services are provided based on this fee schedule. The Company's managed care and other payors reimburse the Company based upon a predetermined fee schedule or an episodic basis, depending on the terms of the applicable contract. Accordingly, the Company recognizes revenue from managed care and other payors as services are provided, such costs are incurred, and estimates of expected payments are known for each different payor, thus the Company's revenue is recorded at the estimated transaction price. Contingent Service Revenues
Patient Accounts Receivable	Patient Accounts Receivable The Company reports patient accounts receivable from services rendered at their estimated transaction price, which includes price concessions based on the amounts expected from payors. The Company's patient accounts receivable is uncollateralized and primarily consist of amounts due from Medicare, Medicaid, other third-party payors, and to a lesser degree patients. The credit risk from other payors is limited due to the significance of Medicare as the primary payor. The Company believes the credit risk associated with its Medicare accounts 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 from any particular payor that would subject it to any significant credit risk in the collection of patient accounts receivable.
Earnings Per Share	Earnings Per ShareBasic per share information is computed by dividing the relevant amounts from the condensed consolidated statements of income by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period, under the treasury stock method. Diluted per share information is also computed using the treasury stock method, by dividing the relevant amounts from the condensed consolidated statements of income by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding plus potentially dilutive shares.
Recently Adopted/Issued Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Simplifications to accounting for income taxes, which removes certain exceptions to the general principles of Topic 740 and adds guidance to reduce complexity in accounting for income taxes. The Company adopted the new guidance effective January 1, 2021. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact to the Company.

Significant Accounting Polici_3

Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Schedule of Percentage of Net Service Revenue Earned by Category of Payor	The following table sets forth the percentage of net service revenue earned by category of payor for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Home health: Medicare 62.1 % 66.4 % 62.8 % 67.0 % Managed Care, Commercial, and Other 37.9 33.6 37.2 33.0 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % Hospice: Medicare 94.6 % 93.8 % 94.3 % 92.9 % Managed Care, Commercial, and Other 5.4 6.2 5.7 7.1 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % Home and community-based services: Medicaid 32.1 % 21.5 % 31.1 % 21.0 % Managed Care, Commercial, and Other 67.9 78.5 68.9 79.0 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % Facility-based services: Medicare 45.8 % 54.2 % 49.5 % 55.2 % Managed Care, Commercial, and Other 54.2 45.8 50.5 44.8 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % HCI: Medicare 6.0 % 11.1 % 11.4 % 17.9 % Managed Care, Commercial, and Other 94.0 88.9 88.6 82.1 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 %
Schedule of 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 and, with respect to the data provided for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 (amounts in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation 31,238 31,121 31,205 31,080 Effect of dilutive potential shares: Nonvested stock 196 290 217 254 Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation 31,434 31,411 31,422 31,334 Anti-dilutive shares 6 — 118 5

Acquisitions, Divestiture and_2

Acquisitions, Divestiture and Joint Venture Activities (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Schedule of recognized identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed	The following table summarizes the preliminary amounts of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their acquisition dates, as well as their fair value at the acquisition dates and the noncontrolling interest acquired during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 (amounts in thousands): Consideration Cash $ 384,827 Fair value of total consideration transferred Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed: Cash $ 1,352 Patient accounts receivable 14,657 Other receivables 205 Prepaid expenses 387 Other current assets 155 Property and equipment 1,976 Trade names 22,070 Certificates of need/licenses 13,604 Non-compete agreements 1,821 Operating lease right of use asset 7,933 Other assets 84 Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities (9,764) Salaries, wages, and benefits payable (4,045) Current operating lease liabilities (2,527) Amounts due to government entities (102) Deferred employer payroll tax (1,692) Long-term operating lease liabilities (5,407) Total identifiable assets and liabilities $ 40,707 Noncontrolling interest $ 113 Goodwill, including noncontrolling interest of $78 $ 344,233

Goodwill and Intangibles (Table

Goodwill and Intangibles (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Changes in Recorded Goodwill by Reporting Unit	The changes in recorded goodwill and intangible assets by reporting unit for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands): Home health reporting unit Hospice Home and community-based services Facility-based HCI reporting unit Total Goodwill: Balance as of December 31, 2020 $ 884,000 $ 151,742 $ 166,773 $ 15,770 $ 40,862 $ 1,259,147 Acquisitions 7,057 336,844 254 — — 344,155 Noncontrolling interests 78 — — — — 78 Disposals (20) — — — — (20) Balance as of September 30, 2021 $ 891,115 $ 488,586 $ 167,027 $ 15,770 $ 40,862 $ 1,603,360 Intangible assets: Balance as of December 31, 2020 $ 226,004 $ 44,732 $ 24,208 $ 5,311 $ 15,100 $ 315,355 Acquisitions 1,478 35,971 46 — — 37,495 Amortization (354) (242) (7) (4) (436) (1,043) Disposals (1,279) — — — — (1,279) Balance as of September 30, 2021 $ 225,849 $ 80,461 $ 24,247 $ 5,307 $ 14,664 $ 350,528
Schedule of Changes in Intangible Assets, Indefinite	The following tables summarize the changes in intangible assets during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (amounts in thousands): 2021 2020 Indefinite-lived intangible assets: Trade names $ 190,743 $ 168,700 Certificates of Need/Licenses 147,338 135,013 Net total $ 338,081 $ 303,713 Definite-lived intangible assets: Trade names Gross carrying amount $ 10,238 $ 10,212 Accumulated amortization (9,575) (9,480) Net total $ 663 $ 732 Non-compete agreements Gross carrying amount $ 9,088 $ 7,267 Accumulated amortization (6,899) (6,387) Net total $ 2,189 $ 880 Customer relationships Gross carrying amount $ 11,822 $ 11,822 Accumulated amortization (2,227) (1,792) Net total $ 9,595 $ 10,030 Total definite-lived intangible assets Gross carrying amount $ 31,148 $ 29,301 Accumulated amortization (18,701) (17,659) Net total $ 12,447 $ 11,642 Total intangible assets: Gross carrying amount $ 369,229 $ 333,014 Accumulated amortization (18,701) (17,659) Net total $ 350,528 $ 315,355
Schedule of Changes in Intangible Assets, Finite	The following tables summarize the changes in intangible assets during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (amounts in thousands): 2021 2020 Indefinite-lived intangible assets: Trade names $ 190,743 $ 168,700 Certificates of Need/Licenses 147,338 135,013 Net total $ 338,081 $ 303,713 Definite-lived intangible assets: Trade names Gross carrying amount $ 10,238 $ 10,212 Accumulated amortization (9,575) (9,480) Net total $ 663 $ 732 Non-compete agreements Gross carrying amount $ 9,088 $ 7,267 Accumulated amortization (6,899) (6,387) Net total $ 2,189 $ 880 Customer relationships Gross carrying amount $ 11,822 $ 11,822 Accumulated amortization (2,227) (1,792) Net total $ 9,595 $ 10,030 Total definite-lived intangible assets Gross carrying amount $ 31,148 $ 29,301 Accumulated amortization (18,701) (17,659) Net total $ 12,447 $ 11,642 Total intangible assets: Gross carrying amount $ 369,229 $ 333,014 Accumulated amortization (18,701) (17,659) Net total $ 350,528 $ 315,355

Stockholder's Equity (Tables)

Stockholder's Equity (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of Share Grants Activity	The following table represents the share grants activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2021: Restricted stock Options Number of shares Weighted Number of shares Weighted Share grants outstanding as of December 31, 2020 469,631 $ 89.69 74,235 $ 42.07 Granted 126,100 186.15 — — Vested or exercised (174,921) 188.48 — — Share grants outstanding as of September 30, 2021 420,810 $ 122.25 74,235 $ 42.07
Schedule of Shares of Common Stock Issued Under Employee Stock Purchase Plan	The table below details the shares of common stock issued during 2021: Number of Per share Shares available as of December 31, 2020 118,136 Shares issued during the three months ended March 31, 2021 3,204 $ 202.66 Shares issued during the three months ended June 30, 2021 3,152 $ 181.65 Shares issued during the three months ended September 30, 2021 3,445 $ 190.25 Shares available as of September 30, 2021 108,335

Noncontrolling interests (Table

Noncontrolling interests (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Schedule of Activity of Noncontrolling Interest-Redeemable	The following table summarizes the activity of noncontrolling interest-redeemable for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 (amounts in thousands): Balance as of December 31, 2020 $ 18,921 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable 9,127 Noncontrolling interest-redeemable distributions (10,058) Acquired noncontrolling interest-redeemable 113 Purchase of controlling interest (373) Balance as of September 30, 2021 $ 17,730

Leases (Tables)

Leases (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Leases [Abstract]
Schedule of Operating Lease Right of Use Assets and Related Lease Payables	The following table summarizes the operating lease right of use assets and related lease payables in our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (amounts in thousands): September 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 Operating lease right of use asset $ 111,550 $ 100,046 Current operating lease liabilities 35,964 32,676 Long-term operating lease liabilities 78,445 70,275
Schedule of Lease Cost	The components of lease costs for operating leases for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 were as follows (amounts in thousands): Three months ended September 30, Nine months ended September 30, 2021 2020 2021 2020 Operating lease cost $ 12,791 $ 11,973 $ 37,096 $ 34,921 Short-term lease cost 927 743 2,697 2,232 Variable lease cost 997 999 3,058 2,851 Total lease costs $ 14,715 $ 13,715 $ 42,851 $ 40,004
Schedule of Maturities of Operating Lease Liabilities	Maturities of operating lease liabilities as of September 30, 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands): Month ending September 30, 2021 $ 10,650 2022 37,918 2023 28,922 2024 20,080 Thereafter 26,578 Total future minimum lease payments 124,148 Less: Imputed interest (9,739) Total $ 114,409

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Information	The following tables summarize the Company’s segment information for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 (amounts in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 Home health services Hospice services Home and community-based services Facility-based services HCI Total Net service revenue $ 386,699 $ 82,653 $ 45,800 $ 32,415 $ 17,884 $ 565,451 Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 230,839 51,631 34,386 23,725 3,281 343,862 General and administrative expenses 126,695 22,548 11,764 11,050 4,387 176,444 Operating income (loss) 29,165 8,474 (350) (2,360) 10,216 45,145 Interest expense (811) (139) (109) (54) (22) (1,135) Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 28,354 8,335 (459) (2,414) 10,194 44,010 Income tax expense (benefit) 6,407 1,874 (99) (554) 2,522 10,150 Net income (loss) 21,947 6,461 (360) (1,860) 7,672 33,860 Less net income (loss) attributable to non controlling interests 5,157 1,085 77 (187) (6) 6,126 Net income (loss) attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholder $ 16,790 $ 5,376 $ (437) $ (1,673) $ 7,678 $ 27,734 Total assets $ 1,632,670 $ 681,954 $ 239,452 $ 83,276 $ 75,334 $ 2,712,686 Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Home health services Hospice services Home and community-based services Facility-based services HCI Total Net service revenue $ 373,450 $ 59,801 $ 48,387 $ 33,344 $ 15,702 $ 530,684 Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 205,523 37,180 36,664 22,213 3,666 305,246 General and administrative expenses 118,792 16,668 10,937 11,439 3,627 161,463 Impairment of intangibles and other 22 — — — — 22 Government stimulus (income) expense 35,019 4,731 2,865 1,656 164 44,435 Operating income (loss) 14,094 1,222 (2,079) (1,964) 8,245 19,518 Interest expense (310) (51) (37) (22) (11) (431) Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 13,784 1,171 (2,116) (1,986) 8,234 19,087 Income tax expense (benefit) 3,403 247 (440) (435) 1,820 4,595 Net income (loss) 10,381 924 (1,676) (1,551) 6,414 14,492 Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests (157) 321 (153) (12) (7) (8) Net income (loss) attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholders $ 10,538 $ 603 $ (1,523) $ (1,539) $ 6,421 $ 14,500 Total assets $ 1,721,278 $ 277,358 $ 263,414 $ 108,118 $ 86,168 $ 2,456,336 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 Home health services Hospice services Home and community-based services Facility-based services HCI Total Net service revenue $ 1,157,061 $ 209,191 $ 143,332 $ 96,814 $ 29,795 $ 1,636,193 Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 663,137 129,848 103,941 65,360 9,720 972,006 General and administrative expenses 369,337 58,789 35,216 33,213 10,199 506,754 Impairment of intangibles and other 937 — — — — 937 Operating income (loss) 123,650 20,554 4,175 (1,759) 9,876 156,496 Interest expense (1,099) (195) (143) (73) (31) (1,541) Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 122,551 20,359 4,032 (1,832) 9,845 154,955 Income tax expense (benefit) 26,003 4,221 889 (649) 2,445 32,909 Net income (loss) 96,548 16,138 3,143 (1,183) 7,400 122,046 Less net income (loss) attributable to non controlling interests 17,506 3,308 441 792 (37) 22,010 Net income (loss) attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholder $ 79,042 $ 12,830 $ 2,702 $ (1,975) $ 7,437 $ 100,036 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Home health services Hospice services Home and community-based services Facility-based services HCI Total Net service revenue $ 1,081,143 $ 181,387 $ 144,526 $ 96,664 $ 27,155 $ 1,530,875 Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 631,109 112,485 113,864 64,340 11,362 933,160 General and administrative expenses 345,024 49,560 33,520 31,984 9,815 469,903 Impairment of intangibles and other 22 600 — — — 622 Government stimulus (income) expense — — — — — — Operating income (loss) 104,988 18,742 (2,858) 340 5,978 127,190 Interest expense (2,804) (451) (382) (288) (115) (4,040) Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 102,184 18,291 (3,240) 52 5,863 123,150 Income tax expense (benefit) 19,499 3,294 (658) (261) 1,307 23,181 Net income (loss) 82,685 14,997 (2,582) 313 4,556 99,969 Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 14,371 3,452 (275) 1,228 (23) 18,753 Net income (loss) attributable to LHC Group, Inc.'s common stockholders $ 68,314 $ 11,545 $ (2,307) $ (915) $ 4,579 $ 81,216

Basis of Presentation and Sig_2

Basis of Presentation and Significant Events - Organization (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021segmentstatelocation
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Number of operating segments | segment	5
Number of service providers operated | location	868
Number of states in which company operates | state	35

Basis of Presentation and Sig_3

Basis of Presentation and Significant Events - COVID-19 (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Adjustments Due to Legislation [Line Items]
Proceeds from provider relief funds						$ 93,300,000
Government stimulus income (reversal)		$ (44,400,000)	$ 44,400,000
Proceeds from provider relief fund					$ 0
Provider relief funds returned				$ 93,300,000
Contract liabilities - deferred revenue	$ 176,333,000			176,333,000		$ 317,962,000
Recoupment of fund				141,600,000
Net service revenue	565,451,000	530,684,000		1,636,193,000	1,530,875,000
Sequestration Payment Adjustment
Adjustments Due to Legislation [Line Items]
Net service revenue	6,800,000	6,500,000		19,700,000	11,500,000
Suspension of LTACH
Adjustments Due to Legislation [Line Items]
Net service revenue	5,700,000	$ 6,400,000		18,200,000	$ 11,100,000
Due From Legislation
Adjustments Due to Legislation [Line Items]
Employee-related liabilities	51,800,000			51,800,000
Due From Legislation | Other Current Liabilities
Adjustments Due to Legislation [Line Items]
Employee-related liabilities	25,900,000			25,900,000
Due From Legislation | Other Noncurrent Liabilities
Adjustments Due to Legislation [Line Items]
Employee-related liabilities	$ 25,900,000			$ 25,900,000

Significant Accounting Polici_4

Significant Accounting Policies - Percentage of Net Service Revenue Earned by Category of Payor (Details)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Home Health Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Hospice Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Home And Community-Based Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Facility Based Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
HCI
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Medicare | Home Health Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	62.10%	66.40%	62.80%	67.00%
Medicare | Hospice Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	94.60%	93.80%	94.30%	92.90%
Medicare | Facility Based Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	45.80%	54.20%	49.50%	55.20%
Medicare | HCI
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	6.00%	11.10%	11.40%	17.90%
Managed Care, Commercial, and Other | Home Health Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	37.90%	33.60%	37.20%	33.00%
Managed Care, Commercial, and Other | Hospice Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	5.40%	6.20%	5.70%	7.10%
Managed Care, Commercial, and Other | Home And Community-Based Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	67.90%	78.50%	68.90%	79.00%
Managed Care, Commercial, and Other | Facility Based Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	54.20%	45.80%	50.50%	44.80%
Managed Care, Commercial, and Other | HCI
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	94.00%	88.90%	88.60%	82.10%
Medicaid | Home And Community-Based Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Percentage of net service revenue	32.10%	21.50%	31.10%	21.00%

Significant Accounting Polici_5

Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		4 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021USD ($)periodicRategroup	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)facility
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Medicare sequestration reduction adjustment			2.00%
Number of days from date RAP paid to submit final Medicare bill				30 days
Number of Medicare home health resource groups | group				432
Selected hospice, periodic rate used to calculate revenue | periodicRate				1
Number of hospice, periodic rates used to calculate revenue | periodicRate				4
Percentage subject to inpatient cap				20.00%
Determination period for hospice Medicare inpatient reimbursement cap				12 months
Net service revenue	$ 565,451	$ 530,684		$ 1,636,193	$ 1,530,875
Assets held for sale	0			0		$ 1,900
Proceeds from sale of property held-for-sale	3,200
Gain on sale of property	1,200			1,190	(291)
Healthcare Analytics Company
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Contribution for investments, cost				10,000
Jumpstart Nova Fund, LP
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Contribution for investments, cost				100
Hospice Facility
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Number of held for sale asset | facility						1
HCI
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Net service revenue	$ 17,884	$ 15,702		29,795	27,155
HCI | Accountable Care Organizations
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Net service revenue				$ 12,100	$ 9,600

Significant Accounting Polici_6

Significant Accounting Policies - Shares Used in Computation of Basic and Diluted Per Share Information (Details) - shares shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic per share calculation (in shares)	31,238	31,121	31,205	31,080
Effect of dilutive potential shares:
Nonvested stock (in shares)	196	290	217	254
Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted per share calculation (in shares)	31,434	31,411	31,422	31,334
Anti-dilutive shares (in shares)	6	0	118	5

Acquisitions, Divestiture and_3

Acquisitions, Divestiture and Joint Venture Activities - Additional Information (Details) $ in Millions	Sep. 01, 2021USD ($)location	Jul. 01, 2021USD ($)location	Sep. 30, 2021USD ($)acquisitionagencylocation
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Consideration transferred			$ 10.3
Number of noncontrolling membership interest | acquisition			4
General and Administrative Expense
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Transaction costs			$ 6.1
Home Health Agency and Facility Based Agency | Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of an entity			1.5
Loss on sale of investments			0.1
Health Agencies, Second Transaction
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Payments to acquire interest			$ 2.1
Health Agencies, Second Transaction | Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | location			2
Proceeds from sale of an entity			$ 1.9
Home Health Agency
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | agency			2
Hospice Agency
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | agency			1
Heart n' Home Hospice
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Consideration transferred	$ 277.1	$ 50.1
Heart n' Home Hospice | Hospice Locations | IDAHO
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | location		7
Heart n' Home Hospice | Hospice Locations | Oregon
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | location		2
Heart n' Home Hospice | Hospice Locations | Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and South Carolina
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | location	24
Casa de la Luz
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Consideration transferred		$ 48
Casa de la Luz | Hospice Locations and Palliative Care | Arizona
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | location		2

Acquisitions, Divestiture and_4

Acquisitions, Divestiture and Joint Venture Activities (Details) - USD ($)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed:
Goodwill	$ 1,603,360,000	$ 1,259,147,000
2021 Acquisitions
Consideration
Cash	384,827
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed:
Cash	1,352,000
Patient accounts receivable	14,657,000
Other receivables	205,000
Prepaid expenses	387,000
Other current assets	155,000
Property and equipment	1,976,000
Operating lease right of use asset	7,933,000
Other assets	84,000
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities	(9,764,000)
Salaries, wages, and benefits payable	(4,045,000)
Current operating lease liabilities	(2,527,000)
Amounts due to government entities	(102,000)
Deferred employer payroll tax	(1,692,000)
Long-term operating lease liabilities	(5,407,000)
Total identifiable assets and liabilities	40,707,000
Noncontrolling interest	113,000
Goodwill	344,233,000
Goodwill noncontrolling interest portion	78,000
2021 Acquisitions | Non Compete Agreements
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed:
Finite-lived intangibles	1,821,000
2021 Acquisitions | Trade Names
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed:
Indefinite-lived intangible assets	22,070,000
2021 Acquisitions | Certificates of need/licenses
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed:
Indefinite-lived intangible assets	$ 13,604,000

Goodwill and Intangibles - Sche

Goodwill and Intangibles - Schedule of Changes in Recorded Goodwill by Reporting Unit (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance			$ 1,259,147
Acquisitions			344,155
Noncontrolling interests			78
Disposals			(20)
Goodwill, ending balance	$ 1,603,360		1,603,360
Intangible assets:
Intangible assets, beginning balance (excluding goodwill)			315,355
Acquisitions			37,495
Amortization	(400)	$ (300)	(1,043)	$ (900)
Disposals			(1,279)
Intangible assets, ending balance (excluding goodwill)	350,528		350,528
Home health reporting unit
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance			884,000
Acquisitions			7,057
Noncontrolling interests			78
Disposals			(20)
Goodwill, ending balance	891,115		891,115
Intangible assets:
Intangible assets, beginning balance (excluding goodwill)			226,004
Acquisitions			1,478
Amortization			(354)
Disposals			(1,279)
Intangible assets, ending balance (excluding goodwill)	225,849		225,849
Hospice reporting unit
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance			151,742
Acquisitions			336,844
Noncontrolling interests			0
Disposals			0
Goodwill, ending balance	488,586		488,586
Intangible assets:
Intangible assets, beginning balance (excluding goodwill)			44,732
Acquisitions			35,971
Amortization			(242)
Disposals			0
Intangible assets, ending balance (excluding goodwill)	80,461		80,461
Home and community-based services reporting  unit
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance			166,773
Acquisitions			254
Noncontrolling interests			0
Disposals			0
Goodwill, ending balance	167,027		167,027
Intangible assets:
Intangible assets, beginning balance (excluding goodwill)			24,208
Acquisitions			46
Amortization			(7)
Disposals			0
Intangible assets, ending balance (excluding goodwill)	24,247		24,247
Facility-based reporting  unit
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance			15,770
Acquisitions			0
Noncontrolling interests			0
Disposals			0
Goodwill, ending balance	15,770		15,770
Intangible assets:
Intangible assets, beginning balance (excluding goodwill)			5,311
Acquisitions			0
Amortization			(4)
Disposals			0
Intangible assets, ending balance (excluding goodwill)	5,307		5,307
HCI reporting unit
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance			40,862
Acquisitions			0
Noncontrolling interests			0
Disposals			0
Goodwill, ending balance	40,862		40,862
Intangible assets:
Intangible assets, beginning balance (excluding goodwill)			15,100
Acquisitions			0
Amortization			(436)
Disposals			0
Intangible assets, ending balance (excluding goodwill)	$ 14,664		$ 14,664

Goodwill and Intangibles - Addi

Goodwill and Intangibles - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment loss			$ 20
Amortization of intangible assets	$ 400	$ 300	1,043	$ 900
Certificate of Need
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Disposal of intangible asset	$ 400		$ 400
Trade Names
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life			8 years 1 month 6 days		8 years 9 months 18 days
Customer Relationships
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life			16 years 6 months		17 years 3 months 18 days
Non Compete Agreements
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life			2 years 9 months 18 days		2 years 10 months 24 days
Medicare Licenses
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Impairment of intangible asset			$ 900

Goodwill and Intangibles - Summ

Goodwill and Intangibles - Summary of Changes in Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets:	$ 338,081	$ 303,713
Gross carrying amount, definite-lived intangible assets	31,148	29,301
Accumulated amortization	(18,701)	(17,659)
Net total	12,447	11,642
Gross carrying amount, intangible assets	369,229	333,014
Net total	350,528	315,355
Trade Names
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount, definite-lived intangible assets	10,238	10,212
Accumulated amortization	(9,575)	(9,480)
Net total	663	732
Non Compete Agreements
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount, definite-lived intangible assets	9,088	7,267
Accumulated amortization	(6,899)	(6,387)
Net total	2,189	880
Customer Relationships
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount, definite-lived intangible assets	11,822	11,822
Accumulated amortization	(2,227)	(1,792)
Net total	9,595	10,030
Trade Names
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets:	190,743	168,700
Certificates of Need/Licenses
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets:	$ 147,338	$ 135,013

Debt - Additional Information (

Debt - Additional Information (Details)	Aug. 03, 2021USD ($)instrument	Sep. 30, 2021USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)	Apr. 02, 2018USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate percentage		1.63%
Line of credit facility drawn		$ 355,000,000	$ 20,000,000
Credit Agreement | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity				$ 500,000,000
Credit facility maximum borrowing capacity under accordion feature				200,000,000
Credit Agreement | Letter of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letter of credit, sub-limit amount				$ 50,000,000
Line of credit facility drawn			20,000,000
Letter of credit outstanding			$ 25,400,000
2021 Amended Credit Agreement | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee rates for unused commitments	0.15%
2021 Amended Credit Agreement | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee rates for unused commitments	0.30%
2021 Amended Credit Agreement | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility interest rate		1.63%
2021 Amended Credit Agreement | LIBOR | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility interest rate	1.25%
2021 Amended Credit Agreement | LIBOR | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility interest rate	2.00%
2021 Amended Credit Agreement | Base Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility interest rate		3.75%
2021 Amended Credit Agreement | Base Rate | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility interest rate	0.25%
2021 Amended Credit Agreement | Base Rate | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility interest rate	1.00%
2021 Amended Credit Agreement | Eurodollar
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, borrowing outstanding | instrument	15
2021 Amended Credit Agreement | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 800,000,000
Credit facility maximum borrowing capacity under accordion feature	500,000,000
2021 Amended Credit Agreement | Letter of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letter of credit, sub-limit amount	$ 75,000,000
Line of credit facility drawn		$ 355,000,000
Letter of credit outstanding		25,400,000
Available credit under agreement		$ 419,600,000

Stockholder's Equity - Addition

Stockholder's Equity - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended						9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2006	Dec. 31, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested shares of common stock granted	$ 41,400						$ 41,400
Weighted average period of cost recognized							3 years 10 days
Compensation expense related to nonvested stock grants							$ 11,700	$ 11,100
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 (in shares)										250,000
Additional shares authorized for issuance (in shares)									250,000
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax	$ 840	$ 1,213	$ 9,541	$ 966	$ 1,139	$ 6,933
Employee
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares redeemed to satisfy personal tax obligations (in shares)							61,177
Treasury shares redeemed to pay income tax							$ 11,600
2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock reserved for issuance (in shares)											2,210,544
Common stock available for issuance (in shares)											1,747,099
2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan | Employee
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Period of vested shares							5 years
Nonvested stock grants to employees (in shares)							109,665
2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan | Consultants
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Nonvested stock grants to employees (in shares)							5,735
Second Amended and Restated 2005 Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Period of vested shares							1 year
Second Amended and Restated 2005 Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan | Director
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Nonvested stock grants to Independent directors (in shares)							7,200
Percentage of directors' stock grant vested on one year anniversary date							100.00%
Second Amended and Restated 2005 Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan | Lead Director
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Nonvested stock grants to Independent directors (in shares)							3,500
Percentage of directors' stock grant vested on one year anniversary date							33.33%
Percentage of directors stock grant vested on grant date							33.33%
Percentage of directors stock grant vested on two year anniversary date							33.33%

Stockholder's Equity - Nonveste

Stockholder's Equity - Nonvested Stock Activity (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021$ / sharesshares
Restricted stock
Number of shares
Share grants outstanding, beginning balance | shares	469,631
Granted (in shares) | shares	126,100
Vested or exercised (in shares) | shares	(174,921)
Share grants outstanding, ending balance | shares	420,810
Weighted average grant date fair value
Share grants beginning balance, (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 89.69
Granted (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	186.15
Vested or exercised (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	188.48
Share grants ending balance, (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 122.25
Options
Number of shares
Share grants outstanding, beginning balance | shares	74,235
Granted (in shares) | shares	0
Vested or exercised (in shares) | shares	0
Share grants outstanding, ending balance | shares	74,235
Weighted average grant date fair value
Share grants outstanding, beginning balance (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 42.07
Granted (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	0
Vested or exercised (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	0
Share grants outstanding, ending balance (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 42.07

Stockholder's Equity - Shares o

Stockholder's Equity - Shares of Common Stock Issued Under Employee Stock Purchase Plan (Details) - $ / shares	3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Number of shares available, beginning balance (in shares)			118,136
Shares issued during period (in shares)	3,445	3,152	3,204
Number of shares available, ending balance (in shares)	108,335
Per share price of shares issued during period (in dollars per share)	$ 190.25	$ 181.65	$ 202.66

Commitments and Contingencies -

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Other assets, amount from government payors	$ 16.9	$ 16.9
Period of joint venture buy/sell option	30 days

Noncontrolling interests - Summ

Noncontrolling interests - Summary of Activity of Noncontrolling Interest-Redeemable (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
Balance as of December 31, 2020			$ 18,921
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest-redeemable	$ 2,900	$ 700	9,127	$ 10,400
Noncontrolling interest-redeemable distributions			(10,058)
Acquired noncontrolling interest-redeemable			113
Purchase of controlling interest			(373)
Balance as of September 30, 2021	$ 17,730		$ 17,730

Leases (Details)

Leases (Details)	Sep. 30, 2021
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating lease term	5 years
Weighted-average remaining lease term	3 years 11 months 19 days
Weighted-average discount rate	4.24%
Minimum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Renewal term	1 year
Maximum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Renewal term	9 years

Leases - Right of Use and Liabi

Leases - Right of Use and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease right of use asset	$ 111,550	$ 100,046
Current operating lease liabilities	35,964	32,676
Long-term operating lease liabilities	$ 78,445	$ 70,275

Leases - Lease Cost (Details)

Leases - Lease Cost (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease cost	$ 12,791	$ 11,973	$ 37,096	$ 34,921
Short-term lease cost	927	743	2,697	2,232
Variable lease cost	997	999	3,058	2,851
Total lease costs	$ 14,715	$ 13,715	$ 42,851	$ 40,004

Leases - Lease Maturities (Deta

Leases - Lease Maturities (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2021USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
2021	$ 10,650
2022	37,918
2023	28,922
2024	20,080
Thereafter	26,578
Total future minimum lease payments	124,148
Less: Imputed interest	(9,739)
Total	$ 114,409

Segment Information - Summary o

Segment Information - Summary of segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue	$ 565,451	$ 530,684	$ 1,636,193	$ 1,530,875
Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization)	343,862	305,246	972,006	933,160
General and administrative expenses	176,444	161,463	506,754	469,903
Impairment of intangibles and other	0	22	937	622
Government stimulus (income) expense	0	44,435	0	0
Operating income	45,145	19,518	156,496	127,190
Interest expense	(1,135)	(431)	(1,541)	(4,040)
Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	44,010	19,087	154,955	123,150
Income tax expense (benefit)	10,150	4,595	32,909	23,181
Net income	33,860	14,492	122,046	99,969
Less net income (loss) attributable to non controlling interests	6,126	(8)	22,010	18,753
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	27,734	14,500	100,036	81,216
Total assets	2,712,686	2,456,336	2,712,686	2,456,336	$ 2,483,354
Home Health Services
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue	386,699	373,450	1,157,061	1,081,143
Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization)	230,839	205,523	663,137	631,109
General and administrative expenses	126,695	118,792	369,337	345,024
Impairment of intangibles and other		22	937	22
Government stimulus (income) expense		35,019		0
Operating income	29,165	14,094	123,650	104,988
Interest expense	(811)	(310)	(1,099)	(2,804)
Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	28,354	13,784	122,551	102,184
Income tax expense (benefit)	6,407	3,403	26,003	19,499
Net income	21,947	10,381	96,548	82,685
Less net income (loss) attributable to non controlling interests	5,157	(157)	17,506	14,371
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	16,790	10,538	79,042	68,314
Total assets	1,632,670	1,721,278	1,632,670	1,721,278
Hospice Services
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue	82,653	59,801	209,191	181,387
Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization)	51,631	37,180	129,848	112,485
General and administrative expenses	22,548	16,668	58,789	49,560
Impairment of intangibles and other		0	0	600
Government stimulus (income) expense		4,731		0
Operating income	8,474	1,222	20,554	18,742
Interest expense	(139)	(51)	(195)	(451)
Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	8,335	1,171	20,359	18,291
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,874	247	4,221	3,294
Net income	6,461	924	16,138	14,997
Less net income (loss) attributable to non controlling interests	1,085	321	3,308	3,452
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	5,376	603	12,830	11,545
Total assets	681,954	277,358	681,954	277,358
Home And Community-Based Services
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue	45,800	48,387	143,332	144,526
Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization)	34,386	36,664	103,941	113,864
General and administrative expenses	11,764	10,937	35,216	33,520
Impairment of intangibles and other		0	0	0
Government stimulus (income) expense		2,865		0
Operating income	(350)	(2,079)	4,175	(2,858)
Interest expense	(109)	(37)	(143)	(382)
Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	(459)	(2,116)	4,032	(3,240)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(99)	(440)	889	(658)
Net income	(360)	(1,676)	3,143	(2,582)
Less net income (loss) attributable to non controlling interests	77	(153)	441	(275)
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	(437)	(1,523)	2,702	(2,307)
Total assets	239,452	263,414	239,452	263,414
Facility Based Services
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue	32,415	33,344	96,814	96,664
Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization)	23,725	22,213	65,360	64,340
General and administrative expenses	11,050	11,439	33,213	31,984
Impairment of intangibles and other		0	0	0
Government stimulus (income) expense		1,656		0
Operating income	(2,360)	(1,964)	(1,759)	340
Interest expense	(54)	(22)	(73)	(288)
Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	(2,414)	(1,986)	(1,832)	52
Income tax expense (benefit)	(554)	(435)	(649)	(261)
Net income	(1,860)	(1,551)	(1,183)	313
Less net income (loss) attributable to non controlling interests	(187)	(12)	792	1,228
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	(1,673)	(1,539)	(1,975)	(915)
Total assets	83,276	108,118	83,276	108,118
HCI
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]
Net service revenue	17,884	15,702	29,795	27,155
Cost of service revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization)	3,281	3,666	9,720	11,362
General and administrative expenses	4,387	3,627	10,199	9,815
Impairment of intangibles and other		0	0	0
Government stimulus (income) expense		164		0
Operating income	10,216	8,245	9,876	5,978
Interest expense	(22)	(11)	(31)	(115)
Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	10,194	8,234	9,845	5,863
Income tax expense (benefit)	2,522	1,820	2,445	1,307
Net income	7,672	6,414	7,400	4,556
Less net income (loss) attributable to non controlling interests	(6)	(7)	(37)	(23)
Net income attributable to LHC Group, Inc.’s common stockholders	7,678	6,421	7,437	4,579
Total assets	$ 75,334	$ 86,168	$ 75,334	$ 86,168

Income Taxes (Details)

Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Excess tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation	$ 2.4		$ 2.4
Unrecognized tax benefits	$ 6.8	$ 6.2

Subsequent Event (Details)

Subsequent Event (Details) $ in Millions	Nov. 01, 2021USD ($)statelocation	Oct. 01, 2021USD ($)agency	Sep. 30, 2021USD ($)agencystate
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of states in which company operates | state			35
Consideration transferred | $			$ 10.3
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Consideration transferred | $		$ 7.5
Home Health Agency
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired			2
Home Health Agency | Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired		1
Hospice Agency
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired			1
Hospice Agency | Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired		3
Brookdale Health Care Services | Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of states in which company operates | state	22
Consideration transferred | $	$ 197
Brookdale Health Care Services | Home Health Locations | Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | location	23
Brookdale Health Care Services | Hospice Locations | Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | location	11
Brookdale Health Care Services | Therapy agencies | Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | location	13