Service Corporation International (SCI) 10-Q 30 Jul 19 2019 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information Document - shares	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jul. 26, 2019
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	SERVICE CORPORATION INTERNATIONAL
Entity Central Index Key	0000089089
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2019
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		182,360,782
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes

Cover Page Document

Cover Page Document - shares	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jul. 26, 2019
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		182,360,782
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2019
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	1-6402-1
Entity Registrant Name	SERVICE CORPORATION INTERNATIONAL
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	TX
Entity Tax Identification Number	74-1488375
Entity Address, Address Line One	1929 Allen Parkway
Entity Address, City or Town	Houston
Entity Address, State or Province	TX
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	77019
City Area Code	(713)
Local Phone Number	522-5141
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock ($1 par value)
Trading Symbol	SCI
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false

Unaudited Condensed Consolidate

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations Statement - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Product Information [Line Items]
Document Period End Date			Jun. 30, 2019
Revenue from External Customers	$ 812,572	$ 796,092	$ 1,610,784	$ 1,590,574
Costs and Expenses	(621,426)	(607,965)	(1,227,804)	(1,206,685)
Operating profit	191,146	188,127	382,980	383,889
General and administrative expenses	(29,370)	(31,136)	(71,900)	(65,920)
(Losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net	(11,823)	6,865	(13,701)	7,347
Hurricane Expenses, Net of Insurance Proceeds	152	(1,902)	(296)	330
Operating income	150,105	161,954	297,083	325,646
Interest expense	(47,317)	(44,519)	(94,707)	(88,095)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt, net	(7,579)	0	(7,579)	(10,131)
Other income, net	874	1,880	1,594	2,264
Income before income taxes	96,083	119,315	196,391	229,684
Provision for income taxes	(23,570)	(16,034)	(44,665)	(44,355)
Net Income	72,513	103,281	151,726	185,329
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(184)	(42)	(74)	(102)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$ 72,329	$ 103,239	$ 151,652	$ 185,227
Basic earnings per share:
Net income attributable to common stockholders, basic	$ 0.40	$ 0.57	$ 0.83	$ 1.01
Basic weighted average number of shares	182,369	182,637	182,048	183,877
Diluted earnings per share:
Net income attributable to common stockholders, diluted	$ 0.39	$ 0.55	$ 0.82	$ 0.98
Diluted weighted average number of shares	185,690	187,188	185,517	188,547
Dividends declared per share	$ 0.18	$ 0.17	$ 0.18	$ 0.17
Product [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	$ 415,492	$ 397,600	$ 796,701	$ 765,814
Costs and Expenses	(213,635)	(209,925)	(411,529)	(397,648)
Service [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	339,090	334,450	694,461	712,548
Costs and Expenses	(193,378)	(188,293)	(384,191)	(379,141)
Product and Service, Other [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	57,990	64,042	119,622	112,212
Costs and Expenses	$ (214,413)	$ (209,747)	$ (432,084)	$ (429,896)

Unaudited Condensed Consolida_2

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 72,513	$ 103,281	$ 151,726	$ 185,329
Other comprehensive income:
Foreign currency translation adjustments	6,998	(5,909)	14,399	(15,501)
Total comprehensive income	79,511	97,372	166,125	169,828
Total comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(36)	(41)	(76)	(98)
Total comprehensive income attributable to common stockholders	$ 79,475	$ 97,331	$ 166,049	$ 169,730

Unaudited Condensed Consolida_3

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet Statement - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 243,684	$ 198,850
Receivables, net	82,261	73,825
Inventories	25,669	24,950
Other	42,603	33,607
Total current assets	394,217	331,232
Preneed receivables, net and trust investments	4,613,523	4,271,392
Cemetery property	1,834,745	1,837,464
Property and equipment, net	2,027,417	1,977,364
Goodwill	1,846,627	1,863,842
Deferred charges and other assets	1,019,105	934,151
Cemetery perpetual care trust investments	1,624,709	1,477,798
Total assets	13,360,343	12,693,243
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	447,388	479,768
Current maturities of long-term debt	167,084	69,896
Income taxes payable	0	5,936
Total current liabilities	614,472	555,600
Long-term debt	3,464,902	3,532,182
Deferred revenue, net	1,444,564	1,418,814
Deferred tax liability	404,230	404,627
Other liabilities	370,507	297,302
Deferred receipts held in trust	3,693,355	3,371,738
Care trusts’ corpus	1,624,097	1,471,165
Commitments and contingencies (Note 14)
Equity:
Common stock, $1 per share par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized, 186,411,295 and 184,720,582 shares issued, respectively, and 182,468,970 and 181,470,582 shares outstanding, respectively	182,469	181,471
Capital in excess of par value	998,794	972,710
Retained earnings	535,173	474,327
Accumulated other comprehensive income	27,792	13,395
Total common stockholders’ equity	1,744,228	1,641,903
Noncontrolling interests	(12)	(88)
Total equity	1,744,216	1,641,815
Total liabilities and equity	$ 13,360,343	$ 12,693,243

Unaudited Condensed Consolida_4

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Stockholders' Equity:
Common stock, par value	$ 1	$ 1
Common stock, shares authorized	500,000,000	500,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	186,411,295	184,720,582
Common stock, shares outstanding	182,468,970	181,470,582

Unaudited Condensed Consolida_5

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows Statement - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 151,726	$ 185,329
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Loss on early extinguishment of debt, net	(7,579)	(10,131)
Depreciation and amortization	74,244	78,069
Amortization of intangibles	13,653	13,645
Amortization of cemetery property	33,523	29,813
Amortization of loan costs	2,989	3,017
Provision for doubtful accounts	4,273	4,494
Provision for deferred income taxes	6,090	22,011
Losses (gains) on divestitures and impairment charges, net	13,701	(7,347)
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Investments	0	(2,636)
Share-based compensation	8,013	7,544
Change in assets and liabilities, net of effects from acquisitions and divestitures:
(Increase) decrease in receivables	(11,608)	965
Increase in other assets	(18,643)	(10,635)
Decrease in payables and other liabilities	(55,148)	(37,817)
Effect of preneed production and maturities:
Increase in preneed receivables, net and trust investments	(1,594)	(23,494)
Increase in deferred revenue, net	55,441	56,342
Decrease in deferred receipts held in trust	(21,346)	(14,055)
Net cash provided by operating activities	262,893	315,376
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(112,714)	(102,890)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(32,755)	(167,622)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross	32,800	35,600
Proceeds from divestitures and sales of property and equipment	11,380	18,305
Proceeds from Sale, Maturity and Collection of Investments	0	2,900
Payments on Company-owned life insurance policies	(8,586)	(11,733)
Proceeds from Company-owned life insurance policies	0	2,810
Other	0	(14,525)
Net cash used in investing activities	(142,675)	(272,755)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	854,263	370,000
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs	15,536	0
Scheduled payments of debt	(8,712)	(8,631)
Early payments of debt	(828,121)	(259,590)
Principal payments on finance leases	21,807	19,270
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	23,101	7,302
Purchase of Company common stock	(29,574)	(228,866)
Payments of dividends	(65,691)	(62,241)
Bank overdrafts and other	12,307	(8,820)
Net cash used in financing activities	(79,770)	(210,116)
Effect of foreign currency on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	3,113	(2,133)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	43,561	(169,628)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period	207,584	340,601
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period	$ 251,145	$ 170,973

Unaudited Condensed Consolida_6

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Equity Statement - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Treasury Stock	Capital in Excess of Par Value	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Noncontrolling Interest
Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	$ 172,232	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 172,461	$ (229)	$ 0
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2017	1,409,437	191,936	(5,321)	970,468	210,364	41,943	47
Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income	72,456	0	0	0	81,988	(9,589)	57
Balance at end of period at Jun. 30, 2018	1,476,397	192,625	(11,387)	954,128	314,669	26,217	145
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2017	1,409,437	191,936	(5,321)	970,468	210,364	41,943	47
Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends declared on common stock	31,348	0	0	0	31,348	0	0
Employee share-based compensation earned	3,699	0	0	3,699	0	0	0
Stock option exercises	(4,989)	(282)	0	(4,707)	0	0	0
Restricted stock awards, net of forfeitures	0	163	0	(163)	0	0	0
Purchase of Company common stock	(118,797)	0	(3,095)	(16,101)	(99,601)	0	0
Other	(819)	47	0	(866)	0	0	0
Balance at end of period at Dec. 31, 2018	1,641,815	184,721	(3,250)	972,710	474,327	13,395	(88)
Balance at beginning of period at Mar. 31, 2018	1,511,849	192,428	(8,416)	961,744	333,864	32,125	104
Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income	97,372	0	0	0	103,239	(5,908)	41
Dividends declared on common stock	30,893	0	0	0	30,893	0	0
Employee share-based compensation earned	3,845	0	0	3,845	0	0	0
Stock option exercises	(2,313)	(129)	0	(2,184)	0	0	0
Restricted stock awards, net of forfeitures	0	15	0	(15)	0	0	0
Purchase of Company common stock	(110,069)	0	(2,971)	(15,557)	(91,541)	0	0
Other	1,980	53	0	1,927	0	0	0
Balance at end of period at Jun. 30, 2018	1,476,397	192,625	(11,387)	954,128	314,669	26,217	145
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2018	1,641,815	184,721	(3,250)	972,710	474,327	13,395	(88)
Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income	86,614	0	0	0	79,323	7,251	40
Dividends declared on common stock	32,820	0	0	0	32,820	0	0
Employee share-based compensation earned	4,568	0	0	4,568	0	0	0
Stock option exercises	(15,962)	(950)	0	(15,012)	0	0	0
Restricted stock awards, net of forfeitures	0	126	0	(126)	0	0	0
Purchase of Company common stock	(14,542)	0	(355)	(1,935)	(12,252)	0	0
Other	(1,192)	59	0	(1,251)	0	0	0
Balance at end of period at Mar. 31, 2019	1,700,405	185,856	(3,605)	988,978	508,578	20,646	(48)
Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income	79,511	0	0	0	72,329	7,146	36
Dividends declared on common stock	32,871	0	0	0	32,871	0	0
Employee share-based compensation earned	3,445	0	0	3,445	0	0	0
Stock option exercises	(7,139)	(513)	0	(6,626)	0	0	0
Purchase of Company common stock	(15,032)	0	(337)	(1,832)	(12,863)	0	0
Other	1,619	42	0	1,577	0	0	0
Balance at end of period at Jun. 30, 2019	$ 1,744,216	$ 186,411	$ (3,942)	$ 998,794	$ 535,173	$ 27,792	$ (12)

Unaudited Condensed Consolida_7

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Equity (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Dividends declared per share	$ 0.18	$ 0.17	$ 0.18	$ 0.17

Nature of Operations (Notes)

Nature of Operations (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Nature of Operations [Abstract]
Nature of Operations	We are North America’s largest provider of deathcare products and services, with a network of funeral service locations and cemeteries operating in the United States and Canada. Our funeral service and cemetery operations consist of funeral service locations, cemeteries, funeral service/cemetery combination locations, crematoria, and other related businesses, which enable us to serve a wide array of customer needs. We sell cemetery property and funeral and cemetery merchandise and services at the time of need and on a preneed basis. Funeral service locations provide all professional services relating to funerals and cremations, including the use of funeral facilities and motor vehicles, arranging and directing services, removal, preparation, embalming, cremations, memorialization, travel protection, and catering. Funeral merchandise, including burial caskets and related accessories, urns and other cremation receptacles, outer burial containers, flowers, online and video tributes, stationery products, casket and cremation memorialization products, and other ancillary merchandise, is sold at funeral service locations. Our cemeteries provide cemetery property interment rights, including developed lots, lawn crypts, mausoleum spaces, niches, and other cremation memorialization and interment options. Cemetery merchandise and services, including memorial markers and bases, outer burial containers, flowers and floral placement, other ancillary merchandise, graveside services, merchandise installation, and interments, are sold at our cemeteries.

Summary of Significant Accounti

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Service Corporation International (SCI) and all subsidiaries in which we hold a controlling financial interest. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Our consolidated financial statements also include the accounts of the merchandise and service trusts and cemetery perpetual care trusts in which we have a variable interest and are the primary beneficiary. We have retained the specialized industry accounting principles when consolidating the trusts. Our trusts are variable interest entities, for which we have determined that we are the primary beneficiary as we absorb a majority of the losses and returns associated with these trusts. Although we consolidate the trusts, it does not change the legal relationships among the trusts, us, or our customers. The customers are the legal beneficiaries of these trusts; therefore, their interests in these trusts represent a liability to us. Our interim condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited but include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals and any other adjustments, which management considers necessary for a fair statement of our results for these periods. Our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in a manner consistent with the accounting policies described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, unless otherwise disclosed herein, and should be read in conjunction therewith. The accompanying year-end Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year period. Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements The preparation of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions as described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 . These estimates and assumptions may affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. As a result, actual results could differ from these estimates. Leases We have operating and finance leases. Our operating leases primarily include funeral service real estate and office equipment for funeral service locations, cemetery locations, and administrative offices. Our finance leases primarily include transportation equipment but also include real estate and office equipment. Lease terms related to real estate generally range from one to forty years with options to renew at varying terms. Lease terms related to office and transportation equipment generally range from one to eight years with options to renew at varying terms. We determine whether an arrangement is or contains a lease at the inception of the arrangement based on the unique facts and circumstances present. Right-of-use (ROU) assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Leases with a term greater than one year are recognized on the balance sheet as ROU assets and lease liabilities. We have elected not to recognize on the balance sheet leases with terms of one year or less. Lease liabilities and their corresponding ROU assets are recorded at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the expected lease term. For transportation equipment, we use the rate implicit in each lease to calculate the present value. For real estate and non-transportation equipment leases, the interest rate implicit in lease contracts is typically not readily determinable. Therefore, we use the appropriate collateralized incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of future payments for real estate and non-transportation equipment leases. Certain adjustments to the ROU asset may be required for items such as initial direct costs paid or incentives received. We calculate operating lease expense ratably over the lease term plus any reasonably assured renewal periods. We consider reasonably assured renewal options and fixed escalation provisions in our calculation. Generally, our leases do not include options to terminate the lease prior to the contractual lease expiration date, but future renewal periods are generally cancelable. The majority of our contractually available renewal periods for leases of buildings and land are considered reasonably certain of being exercised. This determination is made by our real estate team based on facts and circumstances surrounding each property. Leases with a term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. The majority of our lease arrangements contain options to (i) purchase the property at fair value on the exercise date, (ii) purchase the property for a value determined at the inception of the lease, or (iii) renew the lease for the fair rental value at the end of the primary lease term. The depreciable life of assets and leasehold improvements are generally limited by the expected lease term. Certain of our lease agreements include variable rental payments based on a percentage of sales over base contractual levels and others include rental payments adjusted periodically for inflation. Our lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. We generally do not have sublease arrangements, sale-leaseback arrangements, or leveraged leases. We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. For leases commencing before January 1, 2019, we have elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components on certain equipment leases, such as copiers where the cost-per-copy maintenance charges are included in the lease charge. On these leases, we have elected to account for the lease and non-lease components as a single component. For leases commencing on or after January 1, 2019, we account for the maintenance charges (non-lease components) separate from the lease components. Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash The components of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 are as follows: June 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (In thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 243,684 $ 198,850 Restricted cash (1) : Included in Other current assets 5,716 7,007 Included in Deferred charges and other assets 1,745 1,727 Total restricted cash 7,461 8,734 Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash $ 251,145 $ 207,584 (1) Restricted cash in both periods primarily consists of proceeds from divestitures deposited into escrow accounts under IRS code section 1031 and collateralized obligations under certain insurance policies. Property and equipment, net During the fourth quarter of 2018, based on a review of our historical usage patterns for similar assets, we increased our estimate of the remaining useful life of certain building improvements and equipment by one to three years. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 , these changes in useful life, which were made prospectively, reduced depreciation expense by $4.1 million ( $0.02 per basic and diluted share) and $8.0 million ( $0.04 per basic and diluted share). Accounting Standards Adopted in 2019 Leases In February 2016 and in January, July, and December 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued and amended new guidance on " Leases " to increase transparency and comparability among organizations. Under the new guidance, we are required to recognize right-of-use (ROU) lease assets and liabilities on our balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. In addition, the new guidance offers specific accounting considerations for lessees, lessors, and sale and leaseback transactions. Lessees and lessors are required to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements to enable a user of the financial statements to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. We adopted the new guidance on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective transition method. As a result of the adoption, we recorded: • a $0.7 million reclass from Other current assets to Accounts payable and accrued liabilities for prepaid operating lease expenses, • a $2.7 million reclass from Accounts payable and accrued liabilities to Deferred charges and other assets for accrued operating lease expenses, • a $62.6 million increase to Deferred charges and other assets for operating lease right-of-use assets, and • a $9.4 million and $53.2 million increase to Accounts payable and accrued liabilities and Other liabilities , respectively, for operating lease liabilities. The modified retrospective transition method includes a number of optional practical expedients and accounting policy elections: 1. We elected a package of practical expedients to not reassess: • whether a contract is or contains a lease, • lease classification, or • initial direct costs. 2. We did not elect a practical expedient to use hindsight when determining lease term. 3. We elected the short-term lease recognition exemption. 4. The remaining practical expedients do not apply or do not have a material impact. We established a project team to implement the new guidance. We implemented a new enterprise-wide lease management system in the form of a pre-configured software-as-a-service cloud-based application to support the adoption and ongoing lease requirements under the new guidance. This system serves as a lease database to manage our lease inventory centrally and ensure completeness of our lease inventory. The system also produces accounting entries and financial reporting disclosures required under the new guidance and provides lease activity business intelligence reporting. We thoroughly tested the new system to ensure it produces accurate data to prepare the required accounting entries and disclosures under the new guidance upon adoption and on an ongoing basis. We evaluated and implemented additional changes to our processes and internal controls to facilitate adoption on January 1, 2019 and to meet the standard’s ongoing reporting and disclosure requirements. Our current operating lease portfolio is primarily composed of real estate and equipment. As a result of the adoption, we recognized ROU assets and lease liabilities related to substantially all operating lease arrangements. The adoption of " Leases " did not have an impact on our consolidated results of operations or cash flows. We made the required enhanced lease-related disclosures above and in Note 9 of this Form 10-Q. Internal Use Software In August 2018, the FASB amended "Internal Use Software" to align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement for software-as-a-service with the requirements for capitalizing those costs in a hosting arrangement that includes a software license. Costs for implementation activities in the application development stage are capitalized, depending on the nature of the costs, while costs incurred during the preliminary project and post-implementation stages are expensed. Any capitalized costs are amortized over the term of the hosting arrangement. Cash payments for the implementation costs, whether capitalized or not, are presented as operating outflows as that is consistent with the presentation of the fees in the hosting arrangement. We adopted the new guidance on a prospective basis to implementation costs incurred after January 1, 2019 with an immaterial impact on our consolidated results of operations and consolidated financial position and no impact on cash flows. Recently Issued Accounting Standards Financial Instruments In June 2016, the FASB amended " Financial Instruments " to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on debt instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. During November 2018 and April 2019, the FASB made amendments to the new standard that clarified guidance on several matters, including accrued interest, recoveries, and various codification improvements. The new standard, as amended, replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in the current standard with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to support credit loss estimates. The new guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2020, and in the first half of 2019, we established an implementation team and began analyzing the impact on our current policies and procedures to identify potential differences that would result from applying the requirements of the new standard. The implementation team reports findings and progress of the project to management on a frequent basis. Through this process, we have identified appropriate changes to our processes, systems, and controls to support recognition and disclosure under the new standard. We are still evaluating the impact of the new standard on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows. Goodwill In January 2017, the FASB amended "Goodwill" to simplify the subsequent measurement of goodwill. The amended guidance eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Instead, impairment is defined as the amount by which the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, up to the total amount of goodwill of the reporting unit. The new guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2020, and is not expected to have an impact on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows. Fair Value Measurements In August 2018, the FASB amended "Fair Value Measurements" to modify the disclosure requirements related to fair value. The amendment removes requirements to disclose (1) the amount of and reasons for transfers between levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy, (2) our policy related to the timing of transfers between levels, and (3) the valuation processes used in level 3 measurements. It clarifies that, for investments measured at net asset value, disclosure of liquidation timing is only required if the investee has communicated the timing either to us or publicly. It also clarifies that the narrative disclosure of the effect of changes in level 3 inputs should be based on changes that could occur at the reporting date. The amendment adds a requirement to disclose the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used in level 3 measurements. The guidance is effective for us with our quarterly filing for the period ended March 31, 2020 and we will make the required disclosure changes in that filing. Adoption will not have an impact on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows. Retirement Plans In August 2018, the FASB amended "Retirement Plans" to modify the disclosure requirements for defined benefit plans. For us, the amendment requires the disclosure of the weighted average interest crediting rate used for cash balance plans and an explanation of the reasons for significant gains and losses related to changes in the benefit obligation for the period. It removes the requirement to disclose the approximate amount of future benefits covered by insurance contracts. The guidance is effective for us with our annual filing for the year ended December 31, 2020 and we will make the required disclosure changes in that filing. Adoption will not have an impact on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows.

Preneed Activities (Notes)

Preneed Activities (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Preneed Activities [Abstract]
Preneed Activities	3. Preneed Activities Preneed receivables, net and trust investments The components of Preneed receivables, net and trust investments in our unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 are as follows: June 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (In thousands) Preneed funeral receivables $ 120,424 $ 107,612 Preneed cemetery receivables 896,550 883,432 Preneed receivables from customers 1,016,974 991,044 Unearned finance charge (50,402 ) (44,981 ) Allowance for cancellation (50,520 ) (48,380 ) Preneed receivables, net $ 916,052 $ 897,683 Trust investments, at market $ 5,058,591 $ 4,585,720 Insurance-backed fixed income securities and other 263,589 265,787 Trust investments 5,322,180 4,851,507 Less: Cemetery perpetual care trust investments (1,624,709 ) (1,477,798 ) Preneed trust investments $ 3,697,471 $ 3,373,709 Preneed receivables, net and trust investments $ 4,613,523 $ 4,271,392 The table below sets forth certain investment-related activities associated with our trusts: Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) Deposits $ 112,905 $ 106,843 $ 213,357 $ 200,112 Withdrawals $ 116,680 $ 114,524 $ 224,036 $ 221,293 Purchases of securities $ 240,376 $ 407,859 $ 689,534 $ 1,007,748 Sales of securities $ 240,599 $ 419,357 $ 562,390 $ 1,035,357 Realized gains (1) $ 54,756 $ 87,840 $ 98,281 $ 146,146 Realized losses (1) $ (16,251 ) $ (17,552 ) $ (48,882 ) $ (29,852 ) (1) All realized gains and losses are recognized in Other income, net for our trust investments and are offset by a corresponding reclassification in Other income, net to Deferred receipts held in trust and Care trusts' corpus . The costs and values associated with trust investments recorded at fair value at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 are detailed below. Cost reflects the investment (net of redemptions) of control holders in the trusts. Fair value represents the value of the underlying securities held by the trusts. June 30, 2019 Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Value (In thousands) Fixed income securities: U.S. Treasury 2 $ 49,425 $ 666 $ (141 ) $ 49,950 Canadian government 2 49,627 118 (1,196 ) 48,549 Corporate 2 13,194 53 (233 ) 13,014 Residential mortgage-backed 2 3,311 48 (1 ) 3,358 Asset-backed 2 134 3 (7 ) 130 Equity securities: Preferred stock 2 6,114 498 (116 ) 6,496 Common stock: United States 1 1,280,063 272,490 (60,342 ) 1,492,211 Canada 1 38,568 10,489 (1,824 ) 47,233 Other international 1 83,107 14,817 (2,952 ) 94,972 Mutual funds: Equity 1 842,772 27,898 (82,654 ) 788,016 Fixed income 1 1,235,660 12,608 (38,365 ) 1,209,903 Other 3 6,010 578 — 6,588 Trust investments, at fair value 3,607,985 340,266 (187,831 ) 3,760,420 Commingled funds Fixed income 432,113 5,185 (3,083 ) 434,215 Equity 209,194 48,175 — 257,369 Money market funds 343,467 — — 343,467 Private equity 189,107 74,110 (97 ) 263,120 Trust investments, at net asset value 1,173,881 127,470 (3,180 ) 1,298,171 Trust investments, at market $ 4,781,866 $ 467,736 $ (191,011 ) $ 5,058,591 December 31, 2018 Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Value (In thousands) Fixed income securities: U.S. Treasury 2 $ 49,187 $ 153 $ (448 ) $ 48,892 Canadian government 2 56,343 23 (1,797 ) 54,569 Corporate 2 19,869 13 (516 ) 19,366 Residential mortgage-backed 2 3,611 10 (50 ) 3,571 Asset-backed 2 142 2 (11 ) 133 Equity securities: Preferred stock 2 9,058 180 (412 ) 8,826 Common stock: United States 1 1,236,513 149,233 (138,141 ) 1,247,605 Canada 1 34,821 9,082 (3,026 ) 40,877 Other international 1 77,676 6,057 (10,275 ) 73,458 Mutual funds: Equity 1 760,887 7,104 (151,853 ) 616,138 Fixed income 1 1,180,325 800 (89,179 ) 1,091,946 Other 3 6,548 3,210 (3 ) 9,755 Trust investments, at fair value 3,434,980 175,867 (395,711 ) 3,215,136 Commingled funds Fixed income 419,206 2,419 (18,981 ) 402,644 Equity 205,789 19,567 (11,723 ) 213,633 Money market funds 466,429 — — 466,429 Private equity 215,618 72,897 (637 ) 287,878 Trust investments, at net asset value 1,307,042 94,883 (31,341 ) 1,370,584 Trust investments, at market $ 4,742,022 $ 270,750 $ (427,052 ) $ 4,585,720 As of June 30, 2019 , our unfunded commitment for our private equity and other investments was $141.9 million which, if called, would be funded by the assets of the trusts. The change in our market-based trust investments with significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) is as follows: Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) Fair value, beginning balance $ 7,108 $ 8,533 $ 9,755 $ 9,067 Net unrealized (losses) gains included in Other income, net (1) (322 ) 264 (1,464 ) (270 ) Purchases 5 7 5 7 Sales (203 ) — (1,708 ) — Acquisitions — 11,390 — 11,390 Fair value, ending balance $ 6,588 $ 20,194 $ 6,588 $ 20,194 (1) All net unrealized gains (losses) recognized in Other income, net for our trust investments are offset by a corresponding reclassification in Other income, net to Deferred receipts held in trust and Care trusts' corpus . Maturity dates of our fixed income securities range from 2019 to 2040 . Maturities of fixed income securities (excluding mutual funds) at June 30, 2019 are estimated as follows: Fair Value (In thousands) Due in one year or less $ 53,448 Due in one to five years 52,187 Due in five to ten years 9,253 Thereafter 113 Total estimated maturities of fixed income securities $ 115,001 Recognized trust fund income (realized and unrealized) related to these trust investments was $ 47.1 million and $ 52.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively. Recognized trust fund income (realized and unrealized) related to these trust investments was $ 95.1 million and $ 97.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively. We have determined that the unrealized losses in our fixed income investments are considered temporary in nature, as the unrealized losses were due to temporary fluctuations in interest rates. We believe that none of the securities are other-than-temporarily impaired based on our analysis of the investments. Our analysis included a review of the portfolio holdings and discussions with the individual money managers as to the credit ratings and the severity and duration of the unrealized losses. Our fixed income investment unrealized losses, their associated values, and the duration of unrealized losses as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , respectively, are shown in the following tables: June 30, 2019 In Loss Position Less Than 12 Months In Loss Position Greater Than 12 Months Total Value Unrealized Losses Value Unrealized Losses Value Unrealized Losses (In thousands) Fixed income securities: U.S. Treasury $ 2,898 $ (113 ) $ 4,830 $ (28 ) $ 7,728 $ (141 ) Canadian government — — 18,246 (1,196 ) 18,246 (1,196 ) Corporate 979 (2 ) 7,384 (231 ) 8,363 (233 ) Residential mortgage-backed — — 50 (1 ) 50 (1 ) Asset-backed — — 24 (7 ) 24 (7 ) Total temporarily impaired fixed income securities $ 3,877 $ (115 ) $ 30,534 $ (1,463 ) $ 34,411 $ (1,578 ) December 31, 2018 In Loss Position Less Than 12 Months In Loss Position Greater Than 12 Months Total Value Unrealized Losses Value Unrealized Losses Value Unrealized Losses (In thousands) Fixed income securities: U.S. Treasury $ 6,899 $ (226 ) $ 16,374 $ (222 ) $ 23,273 $ (448 ) Canadian government 2,254 (9 ) 25,330 (1,788 ) 27,584 (1,797 ) Corporate 11,579 (206 ) 6,563 (310 ) 18,142 (516 ) Residential mortgage-backed 351 (4 ) 3,010 (46 ) 3,361 (50 ) Asset-backed — — 79 (11 ) 79 (11 ) Total temporarily impaired fixed income securities $ 21,083 $ (445 ) $ 51,356 $ (2,377 ) $ 72,439 $ (2,822 )

Income Taxes (Notes)

Income Taxes (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Income Tax Disclosure	Income Taxes Income tax expense during interim periods is based on our estimated annual effective income tax rate plus any discrete items, which are recorded in the period in which they occur. Discrete items include, among others, such events as changes in estimates due to the finalization of tax returns, tax audit settlements, expiration of statutes of limitation, and increases or decreases in valuation allowances on deferred tax assets. Our effective tax rate was 24.5% and 13.4% for the three months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively. Our effective tax rate was 22.7% and 19.3% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively. The higher effective tax rate for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 was primarily due to favorable adjustments allowed under SAB 118 in the prior year, partially offset with the higher excess tax benefits from increased exercises of stock options in 2019. Unrecognized Tax Benefits As of June 30, 2019 , the total amount of our unrecognized tax benefits was $1.4 million , and the total amount of our accrued interest was $0.6 million . The federal statutes of limitations have expired for all tax years prior to 2015, and we are not currently under audit by the IRS. Various state jurisdictions are auditing years 2009 through 2017 . There are currently no federal or provincial audits in Canada; however, years subsequent to 2014 remain open and could be subject to examination. It is reasonably possible that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits may change within the next twelve months. However, given the number of years that remain subject to examination and the number of matters being examined, an estimate of the range of the possible increase or decrease cannot be made.

Debt (Notes)

Debt (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Debt [Abstract]
Debt Disclosure	Debt Debt as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was as follows: June 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (In thousands) 4.5% Senior Notes due November 2020 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 8.0% Senior Notes due November 2021 150,000 150,000 5.375% Senior Notes due January 2022 98,906 425,000 5.375% Senior Notes due May 2024 850,000 850,000 7.5% Senior Notes due April 2027 184,350 200,000 4.625% Senior Notes due December 2027 550,000 550,000 5.125% Senior Notes due June 2029 750,000 — Term Loan due December 2022 — 641,250 Term Loan due May 2024 650,000 — Bank Credit Facility due December 2022 — 395,000 Obligations under finance leases 197,230 211,952 Mortgage notes and other debt, maturities through 2050 34,825 4,076 Unamortized premiums, net 6,103 6,562 Unamortized debt issuance costs (39,428 ) (31,762 ) Total debt 3,631,986 3,602,078 Less: Current maturities of long-term debt (167,084 ) (69,896 ) Total long-term debt $ 3,464,902 $ 3,532,182 Current maturities of debt at June 30, 2019 include amounts due within the next year under our Term Loan, mortgage notes and other debt and finance leases, and our 5.375% Senior Notes due January 2022, which we redeemed in July 2019. Our consolidated debt had a weighted average interest rate of 4.94% and 4.99% at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , respectively. Approximately 77% and 66% of our total debt had a fixed interest rate at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , respectively. During the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 , we paid $97.3 million and $89.1 million in cash interest, respectively. Bank Credit Agreement In May 2019, we entered into a new $ 1.7 billion bank credit agreement due May 2024 with a syndicate of banks. The $ 1.7 billion bank credit agreement comprises a $ 1.0 billion Bank Credit Facility and a $ 0.7 billion Term Loan, both due May 2024, including a sublimit of $ 100.0 million for letters of credit. We accounted for this transaction as a modification of the agreement. Through modifying the Term Loan, we received $ 49.3 million in proceeds from certain members of the syndicate of banks and paid $ 32.1 million in principal payments to other members, netting to a $17.2 million increase in our outstanding Term Loan balance. As of June 30, 2019 , we have no outstanding borrowings under our Bank Credit Facility due May 2024, $650.0 million of outstanding borrowings under our Term Loan due May 2024, and $32.9 million of letters of credit issued. The bank credit agreement provides us with flexibility for working capital, if needed, and is guaranteed by a majority of our domestic subsidiaries. The subsidiary guaranty is a guaranty of payment of the outstanding amount of the total lending commitment, including letters of credit. The bank credit agreement contains certain financial covenants, including a minimum interest coverage ratio, a maximum leverage ratio, and certain dividend and share repurchase restrictions. As of June 30, 2019 , we were in compliance with all of our debt covenants. We pay a quarterly fee on the unused commitment, which was 0.20% at June 30, 2019 . As of June 30, 2019 , we have $967.1 million in borrowing capacity under the Bank Credit Facility. Debt Issuances and Additions During the six months ended June 30, 2019 , we issued $ 854.3 million of debt including: • $ 750.0 million unsecured 5.125% Senior Notes due June 2029 • $55.0 million on our Bank Credit Facility • $49.3 million in additional proceeds from certain members of the syndicate of banks in our Bank Credit Facility Newly issued debt was used to pay off our Bank Credit Facility due December 2022, to partially redeem our 5.375% Senior Notes due January 2022, to fund acquisition activity, and for general corporate purposes. These transactions resulted in additional debt issuance costs of $15.5 million . During the six months ended June 30, 2018 , we drew a total of $370.0 million on our Bank Credit Facility to fund the redemption of our 7.625% Senior Notes due October 2018, to make required principal payments on our Term Loan due December 2022, to fund acquisition activity, and for general corporate purposes. Debt Extinguishments and Reductions During the six months ended June 30, 2019 , we made aggregate debt payments of $836.8 million for scheduled and early extinguishment payments including: • $450.0 million in aggregate principal of our Bank Credit Facility; • $40.5 million in aggregate principal payments to other members of our Term Loan; • $326.1 million in aggregate principal 5.375% Senior Notes due January 2022; • $15.7 million in aggregate principal of 7.5% Senior Notes due April 2027; • $4.3 million of premiums paid on early extinguishment; and • $0.2 million in other debt. Certain of the above transactions resulted in the recognition of a loss of $7.6 million recorded in Losses on early extinguishment of debt in our Consolidated Statement of Operations for the six months ended June 30, 2019 . During the six months ended June 30, 2018 , we made aggregate debt payments of $268.2 million for scheduled and early extinguishment payments including: • $250.0 million in aggregate principal of our 7.625% Senior Notes due October 2018; • $9.6 million in call premium for redemption of the 7.625% Senior Notes due October 2018; • $8.4 million in aggregate principal of our Term Loan; and • $0.2 million in other debt.

Credit Risk and Fair Value of F

Credit Risk and Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Credit Risk and Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Abstract]
Credit Risk and Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Fair Value of Financial Instruments Fair Value Estimates The fair value estimates of the following financial instruments have been determined using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies. The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, trade receivables, and trade payables approximate the fair values of those instruments due to the short-term nature of the instruments. The fair value of receivables on preneed contracts are impracticable to estimate because of the lack of a trading market and the diverse number of individual contracts with varying terms. The fair value of our debt instruments at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was as follows: June 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (In thousands) 4.5% Senior Notes due November 2020 $ 200,376 $ 198,930 8.0% Senior Notes due November 2021 164,437 160,800 5.375% Senior Notes due January 2022 99,212 428,188 5.375% Senior Notes due May 2024 876,724 851,275 7.5% Senior Notes due April 2027 221,275 214,940 4.625% Senior Notes due December 2027 566,671 517,077 5.125% Senior Notes due June 2029 793,125 — Term Loan due December 2022 — 629,579 Term Loan due May 2024 650,000 — Bank Credit Facility due December 2022 — 387,061 Mortgage notes and other debt, maturities through 2050 34,824 4,076 Total fair value of debt instruments $ 3,606,644 $ 3,391,926 The fair value of our long-term, fixed-rate loans was estimated using market prices for those loans, and therefore they are classified within Level 2 of the fair value measurements hierarchy. The Term Loan, Bank Credit Facility agreement, and the mortgage notes and other debt are classified within Level 3 of the fair value measurements hierarchy. The fair value of these instruments has been estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on our incremental borrowing rate for similar borrowing arrangements. An increase (decrease) in the inputs results in a directionally opposite change in the fair value of the instruments.

Equity (Notes)

Equity (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure	Equity Share Repurchases Subject to market conditions, normal trading restrictions, and limitations in our debt covenants, we may make purchases in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions under our stock repurchase program. During the six months ended June 30, 2019 , we repurchased 692,325 shares of common stock at an aggregate cost of $29.6 million , which is an average cost per share of $42.72 . After these repurchases, the remaining dollar value of shares authorized to be purchased under our share repurchase program was approximately $165.7 million at June 30, 2019 . Subsequent to June 30, 2019 , we repurchased 142,492 shares of common stock at an aggregate cost of $6.7 million , which is an average cost per share of $46.78 . After these subsequent repurchases, the remaining dollar value of shares authorized to be repurchased under our repurchase program is $159.0 million .

Segment Reporting (Notes)

Segment Reporting (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block]	Segment Reporting Our operations are both product-based and geographically-based, and the reportable operating segments presented below include our funeral and cemetery operations. Our geographic areas include the United States and Canada, where we conduct both funeral and cemetery operations. Our reportable segment, including disaggregated revenue, information is as follows: Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) Revenue from customers: Funeral revenue: Atneed revenue $ 245,418 $ 243,013 $ 504,148 $ 517,512 Matured preneed revenue 148,584 146,045 305,034 311,374 Core funeral revenue 394,002 389,058 809,182 828,886 Non-funeral home revenue 13,121 11,836 26,094 25,513 Recognized preneed revenue 39,728 33,919 71,053 66,379 Other revenue 32,127 33,835 65,443 62,235 Total funeral revenue 478,978 468,648 971,772 983,013 Cemetery revenue: Atneed revenue 82,286 80,941 163,737 163,985 Recognized preneed property revenue 151,875 143,166 280,487 252,106 Recognized preneed merchandise and service revenue 73,570 73,130 140,609 141,493 Core revenue 307,731 297,237 584,833 557,584 Other revenue 25,863 30,207 54,179 49,977 Total cemetery revenue 333,594 327,444 639,012 607,561 Total revenue from customers $ 812,572 $ 796,092 $ 1,610,784 $ 1,590,574 Operating profit: Funeral operating profit $ 90,590 $ 90,421 $ 196,008 $ 210,876 Cemetery operating profit 100,556 97,706 186,972 173,013 Operating profit from reportable segments 191,146 188,127 382,980 383,889 General and administrative expenses (29,370 ) (31,136 ) (71,900 ) (65,920 ) (Losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net (11,823 ) 6,865 (13,701 ) 7,347 Hurricane recoveries (expenses), net 152 (1,902 ) (296 ) 330 Operating income 150,105 161,954 297,083 325,646 Interest expense (47,317 ) (44,519 ) (94,707 ) (88,095 ) Loss on early extinguishment of debt, net (7,579 ) — (7,579 ) (10,131 ) Other income, net 874 1,880 1,594 2,264 Income before income taxes $ 96,083 $ 119,315 $ 196,391 $ 229,684 Our geographic area information is as follows: United States Canada Total (In thousands) Three Months Ended June 30, Revenue from external customers: 2019 $ 767,394 $ 45,178 $ 812,572 2018 $ 750,445 $ 45,647 $ 796,092 Six Months Ended June 30, Revenue from external customers: 2019 $ 1,521,474 $ 89,310 $ 1,610,784 2018 $ 1,494,558 $ 96,016 $ 1,590,574

Leases (Notes)

Leases (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Leases of Lessee Disclosure [Text Block]	Leases Our leases principally relate to funeral service real estate and office, maintenance, and transportation equipment. The majority of our lease arrangements contain options to (i) purchase the property at fair value on the exercise date, (ii) purchase the property for a value determined at the inception of the lease, or (iii) renew the lease for the fair rental value at the end of the primary lease term. Future lease payments for non-cancelable operating and finance leases as of June 30, 2019 was as follows: Operating Finance Total (In thousands) 2019 (excluding the six months ended June 30, 2019) $ 5,408 $ 23,722 $ 29,130 2020 11,343 43,681 55,024 2021 10,056 61,946 72,002 2022 8,928 25,721 34,649 2023 6,759 18,614 25,373 Thereafter 45,164 47,754 92,918 Total lease payments $ 87,658 $ 221,438 $ 309,096 Less: Interest (23,051 ) (24,208 ) (47,259 ) Present value of lease liabilities $ 64,607 $ 197,230 $ 261,837 As of December 31, 2018, we disclosed the following future lease payments for non-cancelable operating and finance leases exceeding one year: Operating Finance (In thousands) 2019 $ 11,295 $ 46,998 2020 9,550 51,943 2021 8,251 57,881 2022 7,282 21,842 2023 5,397 15,587 2024 and thereafter 37,841 40,447 Total $ 79,616 $ 234,698 Less: Interest on finance leases (22,746 ) Total principal payable on finance leases $ 211,952 The components of lease cost for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 were as follows: Three Months Ended June 30, 2019 Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 (In thousands) Amortization of leased assets $ 10,348 $ 21,312 Interest on lease liabilities 1,453 3,284 Total finance lease cost 11,801 24,596 Operating lease cost 3,074 6,268 Variable lease cost 420 792 Total lease cost $ 15,295 $ 31,656 Supplemental balance sheet information as of June 30, 2019 related to leases was as follows: Lease Type Balance Sheet Classification June 30, 2019 (In thousands) Operating lease right-of-use assets (1) Deferred charges and other assets $ 62,383 Finance lease right-of-use assets (1) Property and equipment, net 190,889 Total right-of-use assets (1) $ 253,272 Operating Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 8,472 Finance Current maturities of long-term debt 39,940 Total current lease liabilities 48,412 Operating Other liabilities 56,135 Finance Long-term debt 157,290 Total non-current lease liabilities 213,425 Total lease liabilities $ 261,837 (1) Right-of-use assets are presented net of accumulated amortization. The weighted-average life remaining and discount rates of our leases as of June 30, 2019 were as follows: Operating Finance Weighted-average remaining lease term (years) 12.2 5.2 Weighted-average discount rate 4.7 % 3.5 % Supplemental cash flow information related to leases for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 were as follows: Three Months Ended June 30, 2019 Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 (In thousands) Cash paid for amounts in the measurement of lease liabilities Operating cash flows for operating leases $ 3,124 $ 6,217 Operating cash flows for finance leases 1,773 3,721 Financing cash flows for finance leases 11,163 21,820 Total cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities $ 16,060 $ 31,758 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new finance lease liabilities $ 15,308 $ 34,474 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities $ 2,125 $ 6,365 We have 64 operating leases where we are the lessor and the non-cancelable term is greater than one year, resulting in $0.7 million and $1.4 million in lease income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 . We lease office space and excess land, and we are party to cellular agreements and land easements. We generally do not have sales-type leases, direct financing leases, or lease receivables. The adoption of ASC 842 did not have an impact on our accounting for lessor leases. Future undiscounted lease income from operating leases as of June 30, 2019 were as follows (in thousands): 2019 (excluding the six months ended June 30, 2019) $ 1,341 2020 1,772 2021 1,417 2022 1,092 2023 504 Thereafter 243 Total cash receipts $ 6,369

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure	Commitments and Contingencies Insurance Loss Reserves We purchase comprehensive general liability, morticians’ and cemetery professional liability, automobile liability, and workers’ compensation insurance coverage, all of which are structured with high deductibles. The high-deductible insurance program means we are primarily self-insured for claims and associated costs and losses covered by these policies. As of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , we have self-insurance reserves of $80.3 million and $80.1 million , respectively. Litigation and Regulatory Matters We are a party to various litigation and regulatory matters, investigations, and proceedings. Some of the more frequent routine litigations incidental to our business are based on burial practices claims and employment-related matters, including discrimination, harassment, and wage and hour laws and regulations. For each of our outstanding legal matters, we evaluate the merits of the case, our exposure to the matter, possible legal or settlement strategies, and the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome. We intend to vigorously defend ourselves in the matters described herein; however, if we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable and can be reasonably estimated, we establish the necessary accruals. We hold certain insurance policies that may reduce cash outflows with respect to an adverse outcome of certain of these matters. We accrue such insurance recoveries when they become probable of being paid and can be reasonably estimated. Wage and Hour Claims . We are named as a defendant in various lawsuits alleging violations of federal and state laws regulating wage and hour pay, including but not limited to the Samborsky, Fredeen, Horton, Quismundo, and Kallweit lawsuits described below. Given the nature of these lawsuits, except for those lawsuits where a settlement is referenced, we are unable to reasonably estimate the possible loss or ranges of loss, if any. Charles Samborsky, et al, individually and on behalf of those persons similarly situated, v. SCI California Funeral Services, Inc., et al ; Case No. BC544180; in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles, Central District-Central Civil West Courthouse. This lawsuit was filed in April 2014 against an SCI subsidiary and purports to have been brought on behalf of employees who worked as family service counselors in California since April 2010. The plaintiffs allege causes of action for various violations of state laws regulating wage and hour pay. In addition, this lawsuit also asserts claims under the California Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) provisions on behalf of other similarly situated California persons. The plaintiffs seek unpaid wages, compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, interest, and injunctive relief. The claims have been sent to arbitration. In July 2017, the arbitrator entered an award rejecting the plaintiffs' claims, ruling that they did not sue the correct party. Plaintiffs continue to assert claims under PAGA that are not subject to arbitration. Adrian Mercedes Vasquez, an individual and on behalf of others similarly situated, v. California Cemetery and Funeral Services, LLC, et al; Case No. BC58837; in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles. This lawsuit was filed in July 2015 against SCI subsidiaries and purports to be brought on behalf of the defendants' current and former non-exempt California employees during the four years preceding the filing of the complaint. The plaintiff alleges numerous causes of action for alleged wage and hour pay violations. The plaintiff seeks unpaid wages, compensatory and punitive damages, civil penalties, attorneys’ fees and costs, interest, and injunctive relief. The claims were ordered to arbitration, and the arbitrator has determined that the claims would proceed as a bilateral arbitration. On May 24, 2019, the arbitrator issued an opinion rejecting plaintiff’s claims in their entirety. In addition, the plaintiff filed an unfair labor practice charge against defendants with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that by enforcing a mandatory arbitration provision, defendants allegedly violated the National Labor Relations Act. That action is currently pending. Lisa Fredeen, an aggrieved employee and on behalf of other aggrieved employees v. California Cemetery and Funeral Services, LLC, et al ; Case No. BC706930; in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles. This lawsuit was filed on May 18, 2018, by the same law firm that filed the Vasquez case described above against SCI subsidiaries, asserting claims for violations of the California Labor Code and PAGA, based on alleged facts similar to those alleged in the Vasquez suit. The plaintiff seeks civil penalties, interest, and attorneys’ fees. Nicole Romano, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. SCI Direct, Inc., et al; Case No. BC656654; in the Superior Court of California for the County of Los Angeles. This lawsuit was filed in April 2017 against SCI subsidiaries and purports to have been brought on behalf of persons who worked as independent sales representatives in the U.S. during the four years preceding the filing of the complaint. In addition, this lawsuit also asserts claims under PAGA provisions on behalf of other similarly situated California persons. The plaintiff alleges numerous causes of action for alleged wage and hour pay violations, including misclassifying the independent sales representatives as independent contractors instead of employees. The plaintiff seeks unpaid wages, compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, interest, and injunctive relief. The parties reached a settlement of this lawsuit and the Doyle lawsuit referenced below in November 2018. The settlement agreement is subject to court approval. The financial terms of the settlement call for SCI Direct to pay a total of $2.5 million in relation to both the Romano and Doyle lawsuits. On May 21, 2019, the Court granted the parties' Motion for Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement. James Doyle, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. SCI Direct, Inc., et al ; Case No. 2:18-cv-05859 in the United States District Court Central District of California, removed from Case No. BC705666; in the Superior Court of California for the County of Los Angeles. This lawsuit was filed in May 2018, against an SCI subsidiary, by the same attorneys who filed the Romano case described above, and alleges causes of action and seeks damages and relief similar to those in the Romano case. The parties reached a settlement of this lawsuit and the Romano lawsuit referenced above in November 2018. On December 26, 2019, this matter was consolidated into the Romano lawsuit. The settlement agreement, noted above, is subject to court approval. The financial terms of the settlement call for SCI Direct to pay a total of $2.5 million collectively for the Romano and Doyle lawsuits. Felicia Horton, an individual and on behalf of other aggrieved employees v. SCI Direct, Inc., et al; Case No. 37-2016-00039356-CU-OE-CTL; in the Superior Court of California for the County of San Diego. This lawsuit was filed in November 2016, against SCI subsidiaries, on behalf of the plaintiff who worked as an independent sales representative of our subsidiary in California. In addition, this lawsuit asserts claims under PAGA on behalf of other similarly situated California persons. The lawsuit alleges causes of action and seeks damages and relief similar to those in the Romano case described above. The attorneys in the Horton case have also filed an additional lawsuit, against SCI subsidiaries, alleging individual and PAGA claims similar to those alleged in the Horton case. The additional individual and PAGA claim lawsuits are styled Jandy Quismundo v. SCI Direct, Inc., et al; Case No. 37-2017-00031825-CU-OE-CTL; in the Superior Court of California for the County of San Diego, and Jaime Kallweit v. SCI Direct, Inc., et al; Case No. 37-2017-00037186-CU-OE-CTL; in the Superior Court for the State of California for the County of San Diego. Sandra Dorian v. SCI Direct, Inc., et al ; Case No 37-2018-0061985-CU-OE-CTL; in the Superior Court of California for the County of San Diego, and Holly Karpiak v. SCI Direct, Inc., et al; Case No. 37-2019-00031328-CU-OE-CTL, in the Superior Court of California for the County of San Diego. In addition to the wage and hour and PAGA claims described above, Horton alleges claims for sexual harassment and wrongful discharge. After a trial, the judge issued a preliminary statement of decision on April 19, 2019, awarding approximately $0.3 million related to the aforementioned claims above. Claims Regarding Acquisition of Stewart Enterprises . We are involved in the following lawsuit. Karen Moulton, Individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. Stewart Enterprises, Inc., Service Corporation International and others ; Case No. 2013-5636; in the Civil District Court Parish of New Orleans, Louisiana. This case was filed as a class action in June 2013 against SCI and our subsidiary in connection with SCI's acquisition of Stewart Enterprises, Inc. The plaintiffs allege that SCI aided and abetted breaches of fiduciary duties by Stewart Enterprises and its board of directors in negotiating the combination of Stewart Enterprises with a subsidiary of SCI. The plaintiffs seek damages concerning the combination. We filed exceptions to the plaintiffs’ complaint that were granted in June 2014. Thus, subject to appeals, SCI will no longer be party to the suit. The case has continued against our subsidiary Stewart Enterprises and its former individual directors. However, in October 2016, the court entered a judgment dismissing all of plaintiffs’ claims. Plaintiffs have appealed the dismissal. Given the nature of this lawsuit, we are unable to reasonably estimate the possible loss or ranges of loss, if any. Operational Claims . We are named a defendant in various lawsuits alleging operational claims, including but not limited to the Bernstein and Hood lawsuits described below. Caroline Bernstein, on behalf of herself and Marla Urofsky on behalf of Rhea Schwartz, and both on behalf of all others similarly situated v. SCI Pennsylvania Funeral Services, Inc. and Service Corporation International , Case No. 2:17-cv-04960-GAM; in the United States District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania. This case was filed in November 2017 as a purported national or alternatively as a Pennsylvania class action regarding our Forest Hills/Shalom Memorial Park in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania and our Roosevelt Memorial Park Cemetery in Trevose, Pennsylvania. Plaintiffs allege wrongful burial and sales practices. Plaintiffs seek compensatory, consequential and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, interest, and injunctive relief. Given the nature of this lawsuit, we are unable to reasonably estimate the possible loss or ranges of loss, if any. Shelley T. Hood v. Pine Crest Funeral Home and Cemetery A/K/A Pine Crest Funeral Home, Service Corporation International, and others ; Case No. 02-CV-2017-900635.00; in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama. This case was filed in March 2017. Plaintiff alleges she contracted with Pine Crest Funeral Home to cremate her mother’s remains on March 25, 2011. Plaintiff further alleges that the cremated remains could not be located when she contacted Pine Crest Funeral Home to take possession of the cremated remains in October 2015. Plaintiff sought compensatory and punitive damages. The plaintiff was awarded compensatory and punitive damages after a jury trial. This matter has settled for a confidential, non-material amount. Unclaimed Property Audit . We are involved in the following matter. We received notices from a third party auditor representing unclaimed property departments of certain states regarding preneed funeral and cemetery contracts that were not funded by the purchase and assignment of the proceeds of insurance policies. The auditor claims that we are subject to the laws of those states concerning escheatment of unclaimed funds. The auditor seeks escheatment of funds from the portion of such contracts for which it claims that we will probably not be required to provide services or merchandise in the future. No actual audits have commenced at this time. Given the nature of this lawsuit, we are unable to reasonably estimate the possible loss or ranges of loss, if any. Other Potential Contingencies In October of 2018, we received a letter from the Illinois Office of the Comptroller claiming that our subsidiary improperly withdrew a total of $13.6 million from perpetual care trusts covering 24 of our cemeteries in Illinois. We believe these withdrawals were entirely proper for the ongoing care of those cemeteries under Illinois law. In July of 2019, we received a letter from the State of California, Department of Justice alleging that the allocation of prices among certain of our cremation service contracts and cremation merchandise contracts violates section 7735 of the Business and Professions Code and that provisions of these same contracts constitute false advertising and deceptive sales practices in violation of California consumer protection laws. The State of California, Department of Justice has requested various injunctive terms, monetary relief of $15.0 million and modified refunds for certain California consumers. We believe our contracts comply with applicable laws. We intend to vigorously defend all of the above matters; however, an adverse decision in one or more of such matters could have a material effect on us, our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Earnings Per Share (Notes)

Earnings Per Share (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	11. Earnings Per Share Basic earnings per common share (EPS) excludes dilution and is computed by dividing Net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other obligations to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common shares that then shared in our earnings. A reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted EPS computations is presented below: Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands, except per share amounts) Amounts attributable to common stockholders: Net income: Net income — basic $ 72,329 $ 103,239 $ 151,652 $ 185,227 After tax interest on convertible debt — 15 — 30 Net income — diluted $ 72,329 $ 103,254 $ 151,652 $ 185,257 Weighted average shares (denominator): Weighted average shares — basic 182,369 182,637 182,048 183,877 Stock options 3,278 4,265 3,418 4,391 Restricted stock units 43 165 51 158 Convertible debt — 121 — 121 Weighted average shares — diluted 185,690 187,188 185,517 188,547 Net income per share: Basic $ 0.40 $ 0.57 $ 0.83 $ 1.01 Diluted $ 0.39 $ 0.55 $ 0.82 $ 0.98 The computation of diluted EPS excludes outstanding stock options and restricted share units in certain periods in which the inclusion of such equity awards would be anti-dilutive in the periods presented. Total equity awards not included in the computation of dilutive EPS are as follows (in shares): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) Antidilutive options 105 1,155 — 868

Acquisition and Divestiture-Rel

Acquisition and Divestiture-Related Activities (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Divestiture-Related Activities [Abstract]
Business Combination Disclosure [Text Block]	Acquisitions and Divestiture-Related Activities Acquisitions In June 2018, we acquired fifteen funeral homes and seven cemeteries in four states (the “acquired businesses”) for $82.2 million in cash. Additionally, we paid $49.8 million of the acquired businesses existing debt in conjunction with the closing of the acquisition. We have completed our purchase price allocation. During 2019, we made the following adjustments to our estimates of the fair value of assets and liabilities (in thousands): Increase in the fair value of preneed receivables, net and trust investments $ (3,056 ) Increase in the fair value of cemetery property (3,511 ) Decrease in the fair value of preneed customer relationship intangible assets 11,996 Increase in the fair value of current liabilities 3,019 Decrease in the fair value of deferred revenue and deferred receipts held in trust (14,156 ) Decrease in the fair value of deferred income taxes (6,883 ) Other (191 ) Total adjustment to goodwill $ (12,782 ) Excluding the June 2018 acquisition described above, we spent $32.8 million and $35.6 million for several smaller, tuck-in acquisitions for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations, Disclosure	Divestiture-Related Activities As divestitures occur in the normal course of business, gains or losses on the sale of such assets are recognized in the income statement line item (Losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net, which consist of the following: Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) (Losses) gains on divestitures, net $ (9,643 ) $ 6,865 $ (9,097 ) $ 8,141 Impairment losses (2,180 ) — (4,604 ) (794 ) (Losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net $ (11,823 ) $ 6,865 $ (13,701 ) $ 7,347

Summary of Significant Accoun_2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy	The fair value of our long-term, fixed-rate loans was estimated using market prices for those loans, and therefore they are classified within Level 2 of the fair value measurements hierarchy. The Term Loan, Bank Credit Facility agreement, and the mortgage notes and other debt are classified within Level 3 of the fair value measurements hierarchy. The fair value of these instruments has been estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on our incremental borrowing rate for similar
Consolidation, Policy	Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Service Corporation International (SCI) and all subsidiaries in which we hold a controlling financial interest. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Our consolidated financial statements also include the accounts of the merchandise and service trusts and cemetery perpetual care trusts in which we have a variable interest and are the primary beneficiary. We have retained the specialized industry accounting principles when consolidating the trusts. Our trusts are variable interest entities, for which we have determined that we are the primary beneficiary as we absorb a majority of the losses and returns associated with these trusts. Although we consolidate the trusts, it does not change the legal relationships among the trusts, us, or our customers. The customers are the legal beneficiaries of these trusts; therefore, their interests in these trusts represent a liability to us.
Use of Estimates, Policy	Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements The preparation of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions as described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 . These estimates and assumptions may affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. As a result, actual results could differ from these estimates.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Accounting Standards Adopted in 2019 Leases In February 2016 and in January, July, and December 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued and amended new guidance on " Leases " to increase transparency and comparability among organizations. Under the new guidance, we are required to recognize right-of-use (ROU) lease assets and liabilities on our balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. In addition, the new guidance offers specific accounting considerations for lessees, lessors, and sale and leaseback transactions. Lessees and lessors are required to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements to enable a user of the financial statements to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. We adopted the new guidance on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective transition method. As a result of the adoption, we recorded: • a $0.7 million reclass from Other current assets to Accounts payable and accrued liabilities for prepaid operating lease expenses, • a $2.7 million reclass from Accounts payable and accrued liabilities to Deferred charges and other assets for accrued operating lease expenses, • a $62.6 million increase to Deferred charges and other assets for operating lease right-of-use assets, and • a $9.4 million and $53.2 million increase to Accounts payable and accrued liabilities and Other liabilities , respectively, for operating lease liabilities. The modified retrospective transition method includes a number of optional practical expedients and accounting policy elections: 1. We elected a package of practical expedients to not reassess: • whether a contract is or contains a lease, • lease classification, or • initial direct costs. 2. We did not elect a practical expedient to use hindsight when determining lease term. 3. We elected the short-term lease recognition exemption. 4. The remaining practical expedients do not apply or do not have a material impact. We established a project team to implement the new guidance. We implemented a new enterprise-wide lease management system in the form of a pre-configured software-as-a-service cloud-based application to support the adoption and ongoing lease requirements under the new guidance. This system serves as a lease database to manage our lease inventory centrally and ensure completeness of our lease inventory. The system also produces accounting entries and financial reporting disclosures required under the new guidance and provides lease activity business intelligence reporting. We thoroughly tested the new system to ensure it produces accurate data to prepare the required accounting entries and disclosures under the new guidance upon adoption and on an ongoing basis. We evaluated and implemented additional changes to our processes and internal controls to facilitate adoption on January 1, 2019 and to meet the standard’s ongoing reporting and disclosure requirements. Our current operating lease portfolio is primarily composed of real estate and equipment. As a result of the adoption, we recognized ROU assets and lease liabilities related to substantially all operating lease arrangements. The adoption of " Leases " did not have an impact on our consolidated results of operations or cash flows. We made the required enhanced lease-related disclosures above and in Note 9 of this Form 10-Q. Internal Use Software In August 2018, the FASB amended "Internal Use Software" to align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement for software-as-a-service with the requirements for capitalizing those costs in a hosting arrangement that includes a software license. Costs for implementation activities in the application development stage are capitalized, depending on the nature of the costs, while costs incurred during the preliminary project and post-implementation stages are expensed. Any capitalized costs are amortized over the term of the hosting arrangement. Cash payments for the implementation costs, whether capitalized or not, are presented as operating outflows as that is consistent with the presentation of the fees in the hosting arrangement. We adopted the new guidance on a prospective basis to implementation costs incurred after January 1, 2019 with an immaterial impact on our consolidated results of operations and consolidated financial position and no impact on cash flows. Recently Issued Accounting Standards Financial Instruments In June 2016, the FASB amended " Financial Instruments " to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on debt instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. During November 2018 and April 2019, the FASB made amendments to the new standard that clarified guidance on several matters, including accrued interest, recoveries, and various codification improvements. The new standard, as amended, replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in the current standard with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to support credit loss estimates. The new guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2020, and in the first half of 2019, we established an implementation team and began analyzing the impact on our current policies and procedures to identify potential differences that would result from applying the requirements of the new standard. The implementation team reports findings and progress of the project to management on a frequent basis. Through this process, we have identified appropriate changes to our processes, systems, and controls to support recognition and disclosure under the new standard. We are still evaluating the impact of the new standard on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows. Goodwill In January 2017, the FASB amended "Goodwill" to simplify the subsequent measurement of goodwill. The amended guidance eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Instead, impairment is defined as the amount by which the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, up to the total amount of goodwill of the reporting unit. The new guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2020, and is not expected to have an impact on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows. Fair Value Measurements In August 2018, the FASB amended "Fair Value Measurements" to modify the disclosure requirements related to fair value. The amendment removes requirements to disclose (1) the amount of and reasons for transfers between levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy, (2) our policy related to the timing of transfers between levels, and (3) the valuation processes used in level 3 measurements. It clarifies that, for investments measured at net asset value, disclosure of liquidation timing is only required if the investee has communicated the timing either to us or publicly. It also clarifies that the narrative disclosure of the effect of changes in level 3 inputs should be based on changes that could occur at the reporting date. The amendment adds a requirement to disclose the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used in level 3 measurements. The guidance is effective for us with our quarterly filing for the period ended March 31, 2020 and we will make the required disclosure changes in that filing. Adoption will not have an impact on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows. Retirement Plans In August 2018, the FASB amended "Retirement Plans" to modify the disclosure requirements for defined benefit plans. For us, the amendment requires the disclosure of the weighted average interest crediting rate used for cash balance plans and an explanation of the reasons for significant gains and losses related to changes in the benefit obligation for the period. It removes the requirement to disclose the approximate amount of future benefits covered by insurance contracts. The guidance is effective for us with our annual filing for the year ended December 31, 2020 and we will make the required disclosure changes in that filing. Adoption will not have an impact on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows.
Lessee, Leases [Policy Text Block]	Leases We have operating and finance leases. Our operating leases primarily include funeral service real estate and office equipment for funeral service locations, cemetery locations, and administrative offices. Our finance leases primarily include transportation equipment but also include real estate and office equipment. Lease terms related to real estate generally range from one to forty years with options to renew at varying terms. Lease terms related to office and transportation equipment generally range from one to eight years with options to renew at varying terms. We determine whether an arrangement is or contains a lease at the inception of the arrangement based on the unique facts and circumstances present. Right-of-use (ROU) assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Leases with a term greater than one year are recognized on the balance sheet as ROU assets and lease liabilities. We have elected not to recognize on the balance sheet leases with terms of one year or less. Lease liabilities and their corresponding ROU assets are recorded at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the expected lease term. For transportation equipment, we use the rate implicit in each lease to calculate the present value. For real estate and non-transportation equipment leases, the interest rate implicit in lease contracts is typically not readily determinable. Therefore, we use the appropriate collateralized incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of future payments for real estate and non-transportation equipment leases. Certain adjustments to the ROU asset may be required for items such as initial direct costs paid or incentives received. We calculate operating lease expense ratably over the lease term plus any reasonably assured renewal periods. We consider reasonably assured renewal options and fixed escalation provisions in our calculation. Generally, our leases do not include options to terminate the lease prior to the contractual lease expiration date, but future renewal periods are generally cancelable. The majority of our contractually available renewal periods for leases of buildings and land are considered reasonably certain of being exercised. This determination is made by our real estate team based on facts and circumstances surrounding each property. Leases with a term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. The majority of our lease arrangements contain options to (i) purchase the property at fair value on the exercise date, (ii) purchase the property for a value determined at the inception of the lease, or (iii) renew the lease for the fair rental value at the end of the primary lease term. The depreciable life of assets and leasehold improvements are generally limited by the expected lease term. Certain of our lease agreements include variable rental payments based on a percentage of sales over base contractual levels and others include rental payments adjusted periodically for inflation. Our lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. We generally do not have sublease arrangements, sale-leaseback arrangements, or leveraged leases. We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. For leases commencing before January 1, 2019, we have elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components on certain equipment leases, such as copiers where the cost-per-copy maintenance charges are included in the lease charge. On these leases, we have elected to account for the lease and non-lease components as a single component. For leases commencing on or after January 1, 2019, we account for the maintenance charges (non-lease components) separate from the lease components.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Property and equipment, net During the fourth quarter of 2018, based on a review of our historical usage patterns for similar assets, we increased our estimate of the remaining useful life of certain building improvements and equipment by one to three years. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 , these changes in useful life, which were made prospectively, reduced depreciation expense by $4.1 million ( $0.02 per basic and diluted share) and $8.0 million ( $0.04 per basic and diluted share).

Summary of Significant Accoun_3

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Schedule of Cash Flow, Supplemental Disclosures [Table Text Block]	June 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (In thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 243,684 $ 198,850 Restricted cash (1) : Included in Other current assets 5,716 7,007 Included in Deferred charges and other assets 1,745 1,727 Total restricted cash 7,461 8,734 Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash $ 251,145 $ 207,584

Preneed Activities (Tables)

Preneed Activities (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Preneed Activities [Abstract]
Long-term receivable and investment components	June 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (In thousands) Preneed funeral receivables $ 120,424 $ 107,612 Preneed cemetery receivables 896,550 883,432 Preneed receivables from customers 1,016,974 991,044 Unearned finance charge (50,402 ) (44,981 ) Allowance for cancellation (50,520 ) (48,380 ) Preneed receivables, net $ 916,052 $ 897,683 Trust investments, at market $ 5,058,591 $ 4,585,720 Insurance-backed fixed income securities and other 263,589 265,787 Trust investments 5,322,180 4,851,507 Less: Cemetery perpetual care trust investments (1,624,709 ) (1,477,798 ) Preneed trust investments $ 3,697,471 $ 3,373,709 Preneed receivables, net and trust investments $ 4,613,523 $ 4,271,392
Investment related activities	Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) Deposits $ 112,905 $ 106,843 $ 213,357 $ 200,112 Withdrawals $ 116,680 $ 114,524 $ 224,036 $ 221,293 Purchases of securities $ 240,376 $ 407,859 $ 689,534 $ 1,007,748 Sales of securities $ 240,599 $ 419,357 $ 562,390 $ 1,035,357 Realized gains (1) $ 54,756 $ 87,840 $ 98,281 $ 146,146 Realized losses (1) $ (16,251 ) $ (17,552 ) $ (48,882 ) $ (29,852 )
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities Reconciliation	June 30, 2019 Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Value (In thousands) Fixed income securities: U.S. Treasury 2 $ 49,425 $ 666 $ (141 ) $ 49,950 Canadian government 2 49,627 118 (1,196 ) 48,549 Corporate 2 13,194 53 (233 ) 13,014 Residential mortgage-backed 2 3,311 48 (1 ) 3,358 Asset-backed 2 134 3 (7 ) 130 Equity securities: Preferred stock 2 6,114 498 (116 ) 6,496 Common stock: United States 1 1,280,063 272,490 (60,342 ) 1,492,211 Canada 1 38,568 10,489 (1,824 ) 47,233 Other international 1 83,107 14,817 (2,952 ) 94,972 Mutual funds: Equity 1 842,772 27,898 (82,654 ) 788,016 Fixed income 1 1,235,660 12,608 (38,365 ) 1,209,903 Other 3 6,010 578 — 6,588 Trust investments, at fair value 3,607,985 340,266 (187,831 ) 3,760,420 Commingled funds Fixed income 432,113 5,185 (3,083 ) 434,215 Equity 209,194 48,175 — 257,369 Money market funds 343,467 — — 343,467 Private equity 189,107 74,110 (97 ) 263,120 Trust investments, at net asset value 1,173,881 127,470 (3,180 ) 1,298,171 Trust investments, at market $ 4,781,866 $ 467,736 $ (191,011 ) $ 5,058,591 December 31, 2018 Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Value (In thousands) Fixed income securities: U.S. Treasury 2 $ 49,187 $ 153 $ (448 ) $ 48,892 Canadian government 2 56,343 23 (1,797 ) 54,569 Corporate 2 19,869 13 (516 ) 19,366 Residential mortgage-backed 2 3,611 10 (50 ) 3,571 Asset-backed 2 142 2 (11 ) 133 Equity securities: Preferred stock 2 9,058 180 (412 ) 8,826 Common stock: United States 1 1,236,513 149,233 (138,141 ) 1,247,605 Canada 1 34,821 9,082 (3,026 ) 40,877 Other international 1 77,676 6,057 (10,275 ) 73,458 Mutual funds: Equity 1 760,887 7,104 (151,853 ) 616,138 Fixed income 1 1,180,325 800 (89,179 ) 1,091,946 Other 3 6,548 3,210 (3 ) 9,755 Trust investments, at fair value 3,434,980 175,867 (395,711 ) 3,215,136 Commingled funds Fixed income 419,206 2,419 (18,981 ) 402,644 Equity 205,789 19,567 (11,723 ) 213,633 Money market funds 466,429 — — 466,429 Private equity 215,618 72,897 (637 ) 287,878 Trust investments, at net asset value 1,307,042 94,883 (31,341 ) 1,370,584 Trust investments, at market $ 4,742,022 $ 270,750 $ (427,052 ) $ 4,585,720
Investments Classified by Contractual Maturity Date	Fair Value (In thousands) Due in one year or less $ 53,448 Due in one to five years 52,187 Due in five to ten years 9,253 Thereafter 113 Total estimated maturities of fixed income securities $ 115,001
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation	Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) Fair value, beginning balance $ 7,108 $ 8,533 $ 9,755 $ 9,067 Net unrealized (losses) gains included in Other income, net (1) (322 ) 264 (1,464 ) (270 ) Purchases 5 7 5 7 Sales (203 ) — (1,708 ) — Acquisitions — 11,390 — 11,390 Fair value, ending balance $ 6,588 $ 20,194 $ 6,588 $ 20,194
Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments	June 30, 2019 In Loss Position Less Than 12 Months In Loss Position Greater Than 12 Months Total Value Unrealized Losses Value Unrealized Losses Value Unrealized Losses (In thousands) Fixed income securities: U.S. Treasury $ 2,898 $ (113 ) $ 4,830 $ (28 ) $ 7,728 $ (141 ) Canadian government — — 18,246 (1,196 ) 18,246 (1,196 ) Corporate 979 (2 ) 7,384 (231 ) 8,363 (233 ) Residential mortgage-backed — — 50 (1 ) 50 (1 ) Asset-backed — — 24 (7 ) 24 (7 ) Total temporarily impaired fixed income securities $ 3,877 $ (115 ) $ 30,534 $ (1,463 ) $ 34,411 $ (1,578 ) December 31, 2018 In Loss Position Less Than 12 Months In Loss Position Greater Than 12 Months Total Value Unrealized Losses Value Unrealized Losses Value Unrealized Losses (In thousands) Fixed income securities: U.S. Treasury $ 6,899 $ (226 ) $ 16,374 $ (222 ) $ 23,273 $ (448 ) Canadian government 2,254 (9 ) 25,330 (1,788 ) 27,584 (1,797 ) Corporate 11,579 (206 ) 6,563 (310 ) 18,142 (516 ) Residential mortgage-backed 351 (4 ) 3,010 (46 ) 3,361 (50 ) Asset-backed — — 79 (11 ) 79 (11 ) Total temporarily impaired fixed income securities $ 21,083 $ (445 ) $ 51,356 $ (2,377 ) $ 72,439 $ (2,822 )

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Debt [Abstract]
Schedule of Debt	Debt as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was as follows: June 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (In thousands) 4.5% Senior Notes due November 2020 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 8.0% Senior Notes due November 2021 150,000 150,000 5.375% Senior Notes due January 2022 98,906 425,000 5.375% Senior Notes due May 2024 850,000 850,000 7.5% Senior Notes due April 2027 184,350 200,000 4.625% Senior Notes due December 2027 550,000 550,000 5.125% Senior Notes due June 2029 750,000 — Term Loan due December 2022 — 641,250 Term Loan due May 2024 650,000 — Bank Credit Facility due December 2022 — 395,000 Obligations under finance leases 197,230 211,952 Mortgage notes and other debt, maturities through 2050 34,825 4,076 Unamortized premiums, net 6,103 6,562 Unamortized debt issuance costs (39,428 ) (31,762 ) Total debt 3,631,986 3,602,078 Less: Current maturities of long-term debt (167,084 ) (69,896 ) Total long-term debt $ 3,464,902 $ 3,532,182

Credit Risk and Fair Value of_2

Credit Risk and Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Credit Risk and Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Abstract]
Fair Value, Measurement Inputs, Disclosure	The fair value of our debt instruments at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was as follows: June 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (In thousands) 4.5% Senior Notes due November 2020 $ 200,376 $ 198,930 8.0% Senior Notes due November 2021 164,437 160,800 5.375% Senior Notes due January 2022 99,212 428,188 5.375% Senior Notes due May 2024 876,724 851,275 7.5% Senior Notes due April 2027 221,275 214,940 4.625% Senior Notes due December 2027 566,671 517,077 5.125% Senior Notes due June 2029 793,125 — Term Loan due December 2022 — 629,579 Term Loan due May 2024 650,000 — Bank Credit Facility due December 2022 — 387,061 Mortgage notes and other debt, maturities through 2050 34,824 4,076 Total fair value of debt instruments $ 3,606,644 $ 3,391,926

Equity (Tables)

Equity (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Segment Reporting (Tables)

Segment Reporting (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]	Our reportable segment, including disaggregated revenue, information is as follows: Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) Revenue from customers: Funeral revenue: Atneed revenue $ 245,418 $ 243,013 $ 504,148 $ 517,512 Matured preneed revenue 148,584 146,045 305,034 311,374 Core funeral revenue 394,002 389,058 809,182 828,886 Non-funeral home revenue 13,121 11,836 26,094 25,513 Recognized preneed revenue 39,728 33,919 71,053 66,379 Other revenue 32,127 33,835 65,443 62,235 Total funeral revenue 478,978 468,648 971,772 983,013 Cemetery revenue: Atneed revenue 82,286 80,941 163,737 163,985 Recognized preneed property revenue 151,875 143,166 280,487 252,106 Recognized preneed merchandise and service revenue 73,570 73,130 140,609 141,493 Core revenue 307,731 297,237 584,833 557,584 Other revenue 25,863 30,207 54,179 49,977 Total cemetery revenue 333,594 327,444 639,012 607,561 Total revenue from customers $ 812,572 $ 796,092 $ 1,610,784 $ 1,590,574 Operating profit: Funeral operating profit $ 90,590 $ 90,421 $ 196,008 $ 210,876 Cemetery operating profit 100,556 97,706 186,972 173,013 Operating profit from reportable segments 191,146 188,127 382,980 383,889 General and administrative expenses (29,370 ) (31,136 ) (71,900 ) (65,920 ) (Losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net (11,823 ) 6,865 (13,701 ) 7,347 Hurricane recoveries (expenses), net 152 (1,902 ) (296 ) 330 Operating income 150,105 161,954 297,083 325,646 Interest expense (47,317 ) (44,519 ) (94,707 ) (88,095 ) Loss on early extinguishment of debt, net (7,579 ) — (7,579 ) (10,131 ) Other income, net 874 1,880 1,594 2,264 Income before income taxes $ 96,083 $ 119,315 $ 196,391 $ 229,684
Schedule of Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets in Individual Foreign Countries by Country [Table Text Block]	Our geographic area information is as follows: United States Canada Total (In thousands) Three Months Ended June 30, Revenue from external customers: 2019 $ 767,394 $ 45,178 $ 812,572 2018 $ 750,445 $ 45,647 $ 796,092 Six Months Ended June 30, Revenue from external customers: 2019 $ 1,521,474 $ 89,310 $ 1,610,784 2018 $ 1,494,558 $ 96,016 $ 1,590,574

Leases (Tables)

Leases (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Contractual Obligation, Fiscal Year Maturity [Table Text Block]	Operating Finance Total (In thousands) 2019 (excluding the six months ended June 30, 2019) $ 5,408 $ 23,722 $ 29,130 2020 11,343 43,681 55,024 2021 10,056 61,946 72,002 2022 8,928 25,721 34,649 2023 6,759 18,614 25,373 Thereafter 45,164 47,754 92,918 Total lease payments $ 87,658 $ 221,438 $ 309,096 Less: Interest (23,051 ) (24,208 ) (47,259 ) Present value of lease liabilities $ 64,607 $ 197,230 $ 261,837 Operating Finance (In thousands) 2019 $ 11,295 $ 46,998 2020 9,550 51,943 2021 8,251 57,881 2022 7,282 21,842 2023 5,397 15,587 2024 and thereafter 37,841 40,447 Total $ 79,616 $ 234,698 Less: Interest on finance leases (22,746 ) Total principal payable on finance leases $ 211,952
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments to be Received, Maturity [Table Text Block]
Lease, Cost [Table Text Block]	Three Months Ended June 30, 2019 Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 (In thousands) Amortization of leased assets $ 10,348 $ 21,312 Interest on lease liabilities 1,453 3,284 Total finance lease cost 11,801 24,596 Operating lease cost 3,074 6,268 Variable lease cost 420 792 Total lease cost $ 15,295 $ 31,656

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted	Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands, except per share amounts) Amounts attributable to common stockholders: Net income: Net income — basic $ 72,329 $ 103,239 $ 151,652 $ 185,227 After tax interest on convertible debt — 15 — 30 Net income — diluted $ 72,329 $ 103,254 $ 151,652 $ 185,257 Weighted average shares (denominator): Weighted average shares — basic 182,369 182,637 182,048 183,877 Stock options 3,278 4,265 3,418 4,391 Restricted stock units 43 165 51 158 Convertible debt — 121 — 121 Weighted average shares — diluted 185,690 187,188 185,517 188,547 Net income per share: Basic $ 0.40 $ 0.57 $ 0.83 $ 1.01 Diluted $ 0.39 $ 0.55 $ 0.82 $ 0.98
Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Table Text Block]	Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) Antidilutive options 105 1,155 — 868

Acquisition and Divestiture-R_2

Acquisition and Divestiture-Related Activities (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Divestiture-Related Activities [Abstract]
Gains (Losses) on Divestitures and Impairment Charges	Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) (Losses) gains on divestitures, net $ (9,643 ) $ 6,865 $ (9,097 ) $ 8,141 Impairment losses (2,180 ) — (4,604 ) (794 ) (Losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net $ (11,823 ) $ 6,865 $ (13,701 ) $ 7,347

Summary of Significant Accoun_4

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Other	$ 42,603	$ 42,603	$ 33,607
Document Period End Date		Jun. 30, 2019
Impact From Change in Depreciable Lives	$ 4,100	$ 8,000
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Change on Basic Earnings Per Share	$ 0.02	$ 0.04
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Other	$ 700	$ 700
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	2,700	2,700
Other Assets	62,600	62,600
Other Liabilities	53,200	53,200
Accrued Liabilities	$ 9,400	$ 9,400

Summary of Significant Accoun_5

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Supplemental Cash Flow Disclosure (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 243,684	$ 198,850
Current restricted cash	5,716	7,007
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Noncurrent	1,745	1,727
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	7,461	8,734
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	$ 251,145	$ 207,584	$ 170,973	$ 340,601

Preneed Activities Investment R

Preneed Activities Investment Related Activities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Investment related activities [Line Items]
Document Period End Date			Jun. 30, 2019
Deposits	$ 112,905	$ 106,843	$ 213,357	$ 200,112
Withdrawals	116,680	114,524	224,036	221,293
Purchases of available-for-sale securities	240,376	407,859	689,534	1,007,748
Sales of available-for-sale securities	240,599	419,357	562,390	1,035,357
Realized gains on investments	54,756	87,840	98,281	146,146
Realized losses on investments	$ (16,251)	$ (17,552)	$ (48,882)	$ (29,852)

Preneed Activities Long-term Re

Preneed Activities Long-term Receivable and Investment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Long-term receivable and investment components [Line Items]
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2019
Receivables from customers	$ 1,016,974	$ 991,044
Unearned finance charges	(50,402)	(44,981)
Allowance for cancellation	(50,520)	(48,380)
Preneed Receivables	916,052	897,683
Trust investments, at market	5,058,591	4,585,720
Insurance-backed fixed income securities	263,589	265,787
Trust investments	5,322,180	4,851,507
Cemetery perpetual care trust investments	(1,624,709)	(1,477,798)
Preneed trust investments	3,697,471	3,373,709
Preneed receivables, net and trust investments, excluding allowance for cancellation	4,613,523	4,271,392
Funeral
Long-term receivable and investment components [Line Items]
Receivables from customers	120,424	107,612
Cemetery
Long-term receivable and investment components [Line Items]
Receivables from customers	$ 896,550	$ 883,432

Preneed Activities Schedule of

Preneed Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2019
Amortized Cost Basis	$ 3,607,985	$ 3,434,980
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	340,266	175,867
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(187,831)	(395,711)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,760,420	3,215,136
Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,173,881	1,307,042
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	127,470	94,883
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(3,180)	(31,341)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,298,171	1,370,584
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	4,781,866	4,742,022
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	467,736	270,750
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(191,011)	(427,052)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	5,058,591	4,585,720
Fixed Income Commingled funds [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	432,113	419,206
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	5,185	2,419
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(3,083)	(18,981)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	434,215	402,644
Commingled funds - Equity [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	209,194	205,789
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	48,175	19,567
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	(11,723)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	257,369	213,633
Private Equity Funds | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	189,107	215,618
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	74,110	72,897
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(97)	(637)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	263,120	287,878
Money Market Funds [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	343,467	466,429
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	0	0
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	343,467	466,429
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | US Treasury Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	49,425	49,187
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	666	153
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(141)	(448)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	49,950	48,892
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Foreign Government Debt Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	49,627	56,343
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	118	23
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1,196)	(1,797)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	48,549	54,569
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Corporate Debt Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	13,194	19,869
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	53	13
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(233)	(516)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	13,014	19,366
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	3,311	3,611
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	48	10
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1)	(50)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,358	3,571
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Asset-backed Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	134	142
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	3	2
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(7)	(11)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	130	133
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Preferred Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	6,114	9,058
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	498	180
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(116)	(412)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	6,496	8,826
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | US Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,280,063	1,236,513
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	272,490	149,233
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(60,342)	(138,141)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,492,211	1,247,605
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Canada Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	38,568	34,821
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	10,489	9,082
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1,824)	(3,026)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	47,233	40,877
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Other International Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	83,107	77,676
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	14,817	6,057
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(2,952)	(10,275)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	94,972	73,458
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Equity Funds
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	842,772	760,887
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	27,898	7,104
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(82,654)	(151,853)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	788,016	616,138
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Fixed Income Funds
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,235,660	1,180,325
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	12,608	800
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(38,365)	(89,179)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,209,903	1,091,946
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 | Other Investments
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	6,010	6,548
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	578	3,210
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	(3)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 6,588	$ 9,755

Preneed Activities Level 3 Acti

Preneed Activities Level 3 Activities (Details) - Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Fair market value, beginning balance	$ 7,108	$ 8,533	$ 9,755	$ 9,067
Net unrealized (losses) gains included in Accumulated other comprehensive income	(322)	264	(1,464)	(270)
Payments to Acquire Other Investments	5	7	5	7
Proceeds from Sale of Other Investments	(203)	0	(1,708)	0
Fair market value, ending balance	6,588	20,194	6,588	20,194
AcquisitionRelatedInvestmentsFairvalueofLevel3	$ 0	$ 11,390	$ 0	$ 11,390

Preneed Activities Investments

Preneed Activities Investments Classified by Contractual Maturity Date (Details) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019USD ($)
Investments Classified By Contractual Maturity Date [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, within One Year, Fair Value	$ 53,448
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after One Through Five Years, Fair Value	52,187
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after Five Through Ten Years, Fair Value	9,253
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, after 10 Years, Fair Value	113
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Total, Fair Value	$ 115,001

Preneed Activities Schedule o_2

Preneed Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 3,877	$ 21,083
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(115)	(445)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	30,534	51,356
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,463)	(2,377)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	34,411	72,439
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (1,578)	(2,822)
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2019
US Treasury Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 2,898	6,899
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(113)	(226)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,830	16,374
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(28)	(222)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,728	23,273
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(141)	(448)
Foreign Government Debt Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	2,254
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	(9)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	18,246	25,330
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,196)	(1,788)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	18,246	27,584
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,196)	(1,797)
Corporate Debt Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	979	11,579
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(2)	(206)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,384	6,563
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(231)	(310)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,363	18,142
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(233)	(516)
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	351
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	(4)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	50	3,010
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(46)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	50	3,361
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(50)
Asset-backed Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	24	79
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(7)	(11)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	24	79
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (7)	$ (11)

Preneed Activities Preneed Acti

Preneed Activities Preneed Activities, Textuals (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Preneed Activities [Abstract]
Unfunded Commitments	$ 141.9		$ 141.9
Investment Earnings, Net	$ 47.1	$ 52.2	$ 95.1	$ 97.1

Preneed Activities Deferred Pre

Preneed Activities Deferred Preneed Revenues [Roll Forward] (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Preneed Activities Deferred Preneed Revenues (Details) [Abstract]
Deferred revenue and deferred receipts held in trust	$ 5,137,919	$ 5,020,979	$ 4,790,552	$ 5,265,206
Net Preneed Deferred Sales	496,842	505,146
Deferred Revenue Acquisitions (dispositions) of businesses, net	(29,665)	148,048
Deferred Investment Earnings, Net	327,819	20,720
Recognized deferred preneed revenues	(212,912)	(212,195)
Recognized deferred revenues, current period sales	(241,589)	(242,438)
Change in amounts due for unfulfilled performance obligations	(3,770)	(551,092)
Deferred Revenue Change in Cancellation Allowance	(206)	62,147
Effect of foreign currency and other on deferred revenue	$ 10,848	$ (12,554)
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Cumulative Effect of Change on Equity or Net Assets			$ 0	$ 37,991

Preneed Activities Deferred Rev

Preneed Activities Deferred Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Deferred Revenue [Abstract]
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2019
Deferred revenue, Gross	$ 2,020,663		$ 1,989,232
Cumulative amounts due for unfulfilled performance obligations	(576,099)		(570,418)
Change in amounts due for unfulfilled performance obligations	(3,770)	$ (551,092)
Deferred Revenue	$ 1,444,564		$ 1,418,814

Income Taxes Narrative (Details

Income Taxes Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Effective Income Tax Rate, Continuing Operations	24.50%	13.40%	22.70%	19.30%
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	$ 1.4		$ 1.4
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued	$ 0.6		$ 0.6

Debt (Details)

Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Document Period End Date		Jun. 30, 2019
Repayments of Debt		$ 836,800	$ 268,200
Term Loan	$ 700,000	700,000
Bank Credit Facility	0	0		$ 387,061
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	32,900	32,900
Line of Credit Facility, Increase (Decrease), Net		55,000
Unamortized debt issuance costs	(39,428)	(39,428)		(31,762)
Total debt	3,631,986	3,631,986		3,602,078
Less: Current maturities of long-term debt	(167,084)	(167,084)		(69,896)
Total long-term debt	3,464,902	3,464,902		3,532,182
October 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Increase (Decrease), Net			$ 370,000
January 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of Debt		326,100
April 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of Debt		15,700
December 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term Loan	650,000	650,000		0
Bank Credit Facility	0	0
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount				395,000
Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of Debt	32,100	40,500
Line of Credit Facility, Increase (Decrease), Net	17,200
June 2029 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance costs	(15,500)	(15,500)
Term Loan 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	0	0		641,250
Unsecured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized pricing discounts and other	6,103	6,103		6,562
Unsecured Debt | November 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	200,000	200,000		200,000
Unsecured Debt | November 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	150,000	150,000		150,000
Unsecured Debt | January 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	98,906	98,906		425,000
Unsecured Debt | May 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	850,000	850,000		850,000
Unsecured Debt | April 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	184,350	184,350		200,000
Unsecured Debt | December 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	550,000	550,000		550,000
Unsecured Debt | June 2029 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	750,000	750,000		0
Capital Lease Obligations
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Obligations under capital leases	197,230	197,230		211,952
Mortgages [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage notes and other debt	$ 34,825	$ 34,825		$ 4,076

Debt Narratives (Details)

Debt Narratives (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Document Period End Date			Jun. 30, 2019
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate	4.94%		4.94%		4.99%
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest, Percentage Rate	77.00%		77.00%		66.00%
Interest Paid, Including Capitalized Interest, Operating and Investing Activities			$ 97,300	$ 89,100
Bank Credit Facility	$ 0		0		$ 387,061
Term Loan	700,000		700,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	32,900		$ 32,900
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage			0.20%
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	967,100		$ 967,100
Line of Credit Facility, Increase (Decrease), Net			55,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt			8,712	8,631
Loss on early extinguishment of debt, net	(7,579)	$ 0	(7,579)	(10,131)
Repayments of Debt			836,800	268,200
Repayments of Long-term Capital Lease Obligations			21,807	19,270
Redemption Premium	4,300
Letters of Credit Limit	100,000		100,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt			854,300
December 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Bank Credit Facility	0		0
Term Loan	650,000		650,000		0
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount					395,000
Redemption Premium				9,600
Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Increase (Decrease), Net	17,200
Repayments of Debt	32,100		40,500
Redemption Premium				8,400
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt	49,300
October 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Increase (Decrease), Net				370,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt				$ 250,000
Bank Credit Facility due March 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	1,000,000		1,000,000
Repayments of Debt			450,000
Other Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of Debt			200
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	1,700,000		1,700,000
Unsecured Debt | May 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	850,000		850,000		850,000
Unsecured Debt | June 2029 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	$ 750,000		$ 750,000		$ 0

Credit Risk and Fair Value of_3

Credit Risk and Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Bank Credit Facility	$ 0	$ 387,061
Notes Payable, Fair Value Disclosure	0	629,579
Total fair value of debt instruments	3,606,644	3,391,926
November 2020
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Senior Notes	200,376	198,930
November 2021
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Senior Notes	164,437	160,800
January 2022
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Senior Notes	99,212	428,188
May 2024
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Senior Notes	876,724	851,275
April 2027
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Senior Notes	221,275	214,940
December 2027
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Senior Notes	566,671	517,077
December 2022
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Bank Credit Facility	0
Term Loan [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Senior Notes	650,000	0
June 2029 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Senior Notes	793,125	0
Mortgages [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Notes Payable, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 34,824	$ 4,076

Equity Narratives (Details)

Equity Narratives (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 26, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019
Treasury Stock Acquired, Average Cost Per Share		$ 42.72
Treasury Stock, Value, Acquired, Par Value Method		$ 29.6
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired		692,325
Stock Repurchase Program, Remaining Authorized Repurchase Amount		$ 165.7
Subsequent Event [Member]
Treasury Stock Acquired, Average Cost Per Share	$ 46.78
Treasury Stock, Value, Acquired, Par Value Method	$ 6.7
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	142,492
Stock Repurchase Program, Remaining Authorized Repurchase Amount	$ 159

Segment Reporting (Details)

Segment Reporting (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Document Period End Date			Jun. 30, 2019
Revenue from External Customers	$ 812,572	$ 796,092	$ 1,610,784	$ 1,590,574
Gross Profit	191,146	188,127	382,980	383,889
General and administrative expenses	(29,370)	(31,136)	(71,900)	(65,920)
(Losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net	(11,823)	6,865	(13,701)	7,347
Hurricane Expenses, Net of Insurance Proceeds	152	(1,902)	(296)	330
Operating income	150,105	161,954	297,083	325,646
Interest expense	(47,317)	(44,519)	(94,707)	(88,095)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt, net	(7,579)	0	(7,579)	(10,131)
Other income (expense), net	874	1,880	1,594	2,264
Income before income taxes	96,083	119,315	196,391	229,684
UNITED STATES
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	767,394	750,445	1,521,474	1,494,558
CANADA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	45,178	45,647	89,310	96,016
Funeral Atneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	245,418	243,013	504,148	517,512
Funeral Matured Preneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	148,584	146,045	305,034	311,374
Funeral Core Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	394,002	389,058	809,182	828,886
Non-funeral Home Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	13,121	11,836	26,094	25,513
Funeral Recognized Preneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	39,728	33,919	71,053	66,379
Funeral Other Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	32,127	33,835	65,443	62,235
Funeral
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	478,978	468,648	971,772	983,013
Gross Profit	90,590	90,421	196,008	210,876
Cemetery Atneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	82,286	80,941	163,737	163,985
Cemetery Recognized Preneed Property Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	151,875	143,166	280,487	252,106
Cemetery Recognized Preneed Merchandise And Service Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	73,570	73,130	140,609	141,493
Cemetery Core Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	307,731	297,237	584,833	557,584
Cemetery Other Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	25,863	30,207	54,179	49,977
Cemetery
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	333,594	327,444	639,012	607,561
Gross Profit	$ 100,556	$ 97,706	$ 186,972	$ 173,013

Leases (Details)

Leases (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Next Twelve Months	$ 23,722	$ 23,722	$ 46,998
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Two Years	43,681	43,681	51,943
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Three Years	61,946	61,946	57,881
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Four Years	25,721	25,721	21,842
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Five Years	18,614	18,614	15,587
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Thereafter	47,754	47,754	40,447
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due	221,438	221,438	234,698
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Interest Included in Payments	(24,208)	(24,208)	(22,746)
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Present Value of Net Minimum Payments	197,230	197,230	211,952
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	5,408	5,408	11,295
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	11,343	11,343	9,550
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	10,056	10,056	8,251
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	8,928	8,928	7,282
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	6,759	6,759	5,397
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	45,164	45,164	37,841
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	87,658	87,658	$ 79,616
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Undiscounted Excess Amount	(23,051)	(23,051)
Operating Lease, Liability	$ 64,607	$ 64,607
Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease, Number of Units	64	64
Lease Liability Payments Remainder Of Fiscal Year	$ 29,130	$ 29,130
Lease Liability Payments Due Year Two	55,024	55,024
Lease Liability Payments Due Year Three	72,002	72,002
Lease Liability Payments Due Year Four	34,649	34,649
Lease Liability Payments Due Year Five	25,373	25,373
Lease Liability Payments Due After Year Five	92,918	92,918
Lease Liability Payments Due	309,096	309,096
Lease Liability Undiscounted Excess Amount	47,259	47,259
Lease Liability	261,837	261,837
Operating Lease, Lease Income	700	1,400
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments to be Received, Next Twelve Months	1,341	1,341
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments to be Received, Two Years	1,772	1,772
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments to be Received, Three Years	1,417	1,417
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments to be Received, Four Years	1,092	1,092
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments to be Received, Five Years	504	504
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments to be Received, Thereafter	243	243
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments to be Received	6,369	6,369
Lease, Cost [Abstract]
Finance Lease, Right-of-Use Asset, Amortization	10,348	21,312
Finance Lease, Interest Expense	1,453	3,284
Finance Lease Cost	11,801	24,596
Operating Lease, Cost	3,074	6,268
Variable Lease, Cost	420	792
Lease, Cost	$ 15,295	$ 31,656

Leases Lease Balance Sheet Clas

Leases Lease Balance Sheet Classification (Details) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019USD ($)
Leases Balance Sheet Classificiation [Abstract]
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset	$ 62,383
Finance Lease, Right-of-Use Asset	190,889
Leases Right of Use Asset	253,272
Operating Lease, Liability, Current	8,472
Finance Lease, Liability, Current	39,940
Leases Total Current Liability	48,412
Operating Lease, Liability, Noncurrent	56,135
Finance Lease, Liability, Noncurrent	157,290
Leases Total NonCurrent Liability	213,425
Leases, Total Liability	$ 261,837

Leases Supplemental Information

Leases Supplemental Information Related to Leases Table Text Block (Details)	Jun. 30, 2019Rate
Supplemental Information Leases [Abstract]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	12 years 2 months 12 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	4.70%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 2 months 12 days
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.50%

Leases Leases Cash Flow (Detail

Leases Leases Cash Flow (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Finance Lease, Right-of-Use Asset, Amortization	$ 3,074	$ 6,268
Lease, Cost	15,295	31,656
Leases Cash Flow [Abstract]
Operating Lease, Payments	3,124	6,217
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	1,773	3,721
Finance Lease, Principal Payments	11,163	21,820
Total Lease Payments	16,060	31,758
Right-of-Use Asset Obtained in Exchange for Finance Lease Liability	15,308	34,474
Right-of-Use Asset Obtained in Exchange for Operating Lease Liability	$ 2,125	$ 6,365

Commitments and Contingencies_2

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 26, 2019USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Self Insurance Reserve		$ (80.3)	$ (80.1)
Litigation Settlement, Expense			2.5
Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Value		$ 0.3
Loss Contingency, Damages Sought, Value			$ 13.6
Number of Stores		24
Subsequent Event [Member]
Loss Contingency, Damages Sought, Value	$ 15

Earnings Per Share (Details)

Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$ 72,329	$ 103,239	$ 151,652	$ 185,227
After tax interest on convertible debt	0	15	0	30
Net income — diluted	$ 72,329	$ 103,254	$ 151,652	$ 185,257
Weighted average shares (denominator):
Weighted average shares — basic	(182,369)	(182,637)	(182,048)	(183,877)
Convertible debt	0	121	0	121
Weighted average shares — diluted	185,690	187,188	185,517	188,547
Net income attributable to common stockholders, basic	$ 0.40	$ 0.57	$ 0.83	$ 1.01
Net income attributable to common stockholders, diluted	$ 0.39	$ 0.55	$ 0.82	$ 0.98
Equity Option [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Diluted, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Stock options	3,278	4,265	3,418	4,391
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Diluted, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Stock options	43	165	51	158
Equity Option [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	105	1,155	0	868

Acquisition and Divestiture-R_3

Acquisition and Divestiture-Related Activities Acquisition table 1 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Change in estimated value of preneed receivables net and trust investments		$ (3,056)
Change in estimated value of acquired cemetery property		(3,511)
Change in estimated value of acquired finite lived intangible assets		11,996
Change in estimated value of current liabilities		3,019
Change in the estimated fair value of acquired deferred preneed revenues and deferred receipts held in trust		(14,156)
Change in estimated fair value of deferred income taxes		(6,883)
Other changes in the estimated fair value of acquired assets and liabilities net		(191)
Total adjustment to the estimated amount of goodwill in a business combination		(12,782)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross	$ 82,200	32,800	$ 35,600
Large Acquisition Debt Acquired			49,800
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired		$ (32,755)	$ (167,622)

Acquisition and Divestiture-R_4

Acquisition and Divestiture-Related Activities Divestiture (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Divestiture-Related Activities [Abstract]
(Losses) gains on divestitures, net	$ (9,643)	$ 6,865	$ (9,097)	$ 8,141
Impairment losses	(2,180)	0	(4,604)	(794)
(Losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net	$ (11,823)	$ 6,865	$ (13,701)	$ 7,347