Boston Scientific (BSX) 10-K 25 Feb 15 2014 FY Annual report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information Document (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Billions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Jan. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Entity Central Index Key	885725
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	31-Dec-14
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2014
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		1,330,512,367
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Public Float			$16.80

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope

Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Net sales	$7,380	$7,143	$7,249
Cost of products sold	2,210	2,174	2,349
Gross profit	5,170	4,969	4,900
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative expenses	2,902	2,674	2,535
Research and development expenses	817	861	886
Royalty expense	111	140	153
Amortization expense	438	410	395
Goodwill impairment charges	0	423	4,350
Intangible asset impairment charges	195	53	142
Contingent consideration expense (benefit)	-85	4	-6
Restructuring charges	69	101	136
Litigation-related charges	1,036	221	192
Gain on divestiture	-12	-38	-15
Operating expenses	5,471	4,849	8,768
Operating income (loss)	-301	120	-3,868
Other income (expense):
Interest expense	-216	-324	-261
Other, net	8	-19	22
Income (loss) before income taxes	-509	-223	-4,107
Income tax (benefit) expense	-390	-102	-39
Net income (loss)	($119)	($121)	($4,068)
Net income (loss) per common share — basic	($0.09)	($0.09)	($2.89)
Net income (loss) per common share — assuming dilution	($0.09)	($0.09)	($2.89)
Weighted-average shares outstanding
Basic	1,324.30	1,341.20	1,406.70
Assuming dilution	1,324.30	1,341.20	1,406.70

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$587	$217
Trade accounts receivable, net	1,183	1,307
Inventories	946	897
Deferred and prepaid income taxes	447	288
Other current assets	443	302
Total current assets	3,606	3,011
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,507	1,546
Goodwill	5,898	5,693
Other intangible assets, net	5,606	5,950
Other long-term assets	425	371
TOTAL ASSETS	17,042	16,571
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	403	3
Accounts payable	262	246
Accrued expenses	1,950	1,348
Other current liabilities	231	227
Total current liabilities	2,846	1,824
Long-term debt	3,859	4,237
Deferred income taxes	1,214	1,402
Other long-term liabilities	2,666	2,569
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value - authorized 50,000,000 shares, none issued and outstanding
Common stock, $0.01 par value - authorized 2,000,000,000 shares; issued 1,575,018,236 shares as of December 31, 2014 and1,560,302,634 shares as of December 31, 2013	16	16
Treasury stock, at cost - 247,566,270 shares as of December 31, 2014 and 238,006,570 shares as of December 31, 2013	-1,717	-1,592
Additional paid-in capital	16,703	16,579
Accumulated deficit	-8,689	-8,570
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustment	-38	-16
Unrealized gain on derivative financial instruments	219	141
Unrealized costs associated with certain retirement plans	-37	-19
Total stockholders’ equity	6,457	6,539
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY	$17,042	$16,571

Consolidated_Balance_Sheet_Par

Consolidated Balance Sheet Paranthetical (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Common stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	1,575,018,236	1,560,302,634
Common stock, shares outstanding	1,327,451,966	1,322,296,064
Preferred stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	50,000,000	50,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Treasury shares	247,566,270	238,006,570

Consolidated_Statements_of_Sto

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (USD $)	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Balance at Dec. 31, 2011		$15	($492)	$16,349	($4,381)	($138)
Balance (Shares) at Dec. 31, 2011		1,531,006,390
Net income (loss)	-4,068				-4,068
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Foreign currency translation adjustment	32					32
Net change in unrealized gains and losses on derivative financial instruments, net of tax	82					82
Net change in unrealized costs associated with certain retirement plans	-9					-9
Impact of stock-based compensation plans, net of tax (Shares)		11,340,798
Impact of stock-based compensation plans, net of tax				80
Acquisition of treasury stock			-600
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012		15	-1,092	16,429	-8,449	-33
Balance (Shares) at Dec. 31, 2012		1,542,347,188
Net income (loss)	-121				-121
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Foreign currency translation adjustment	10					10
Net change in unrealized gains and losses on derivative financial instruments, net of tax	107					107
Net change in unrealized costs associated with certain retirement plans	22					22
Impact of stock-based compensation plans, net of tax (Shares)		17,955,446
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues		1
Impact of stock-based compensation plans, net of tax				150
Acquisition of treasury stock			-500
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	6,539	16	-1,592	16,579	-8,570	106
Balance (Shares) at Dec. 31, 2013	1,560,302,634	1,560,302,634
Net income (loss)	-119				-119
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Foreign currency translation adjustment	-22					-22
Net change in unrealized gains and losses on derivative financial instruments, net of tax	78					78
Net change in unrealized costs associated with certain retirement plans	-18					-18
Impact of stock-based compensation plans, net of tax (Shares)		14,715,602
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues		0
Impact of stock-based compensation plans, net of tax				124
Acquisition of treasury stock			-125
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$6,457	$16	($1,717)	$16,703	($8,689)	$144
Balance (Shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	1,575,018,236	1,575,018,236

Consolidated_Statements_of_Com

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Net income (loss)	($119)	($121)	($4,068)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	-22	10	32
Net change in unrealized gains and losses on derivative financial instruments, net of tax	78	107	82
Net change in unrealized costs associated with certain retirement plans	-18	22	-9
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	38	139	105
Total comprehensive income (loss)	($81)	$18	($3,963)

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Net income (loss)	($119)	($121)	($4,068)
Gain on sale of businesses	-12	-38	-15
Depreciation and amortization	725	689	683
Deferred and prepaid income taxes	-397	-223	-166
Stock-based compensation expense	103	105	108
Goodwill impairment charges	0	423	4,350
Intangible asset impairment charges	195	53	142
Net losses (gains) on investments and notes receivable	-27	9	-37
Contingent consideration expense (benefit)	-85	4	-6
Payment of contingent consideration in excess of amounts established in purchase accounting	-103	-5	-8
Other, net	27	31	-7
Trade accounts receivable	53	-101	37
Inventories	-81	-7	66
Other assets	-33	91	-68
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	620	-9	-111
Other liabilities	403	209	380
Cash provided by operating activities	1,269	1,110	1,280
Investing Activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	-259	-245	-226
Proceeds on disposals	0	53	16
Payments for acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	-486	-274	-366
Proceeds from business divestitures, net of costs	12	30	10
Payments for investments and acquisitions of certain technologies	-26	-44	-22
Proceeds from investments and collections of notes receivable	14	5	9
Cash used for investing activities	-745	-475	-579
Financing Activities
Payments of contingent consideration amounts previously established in purchase accounting	-34	-160	-146
Proceeds from long-term borrowings, net of debt issuance costs	0	1,440	0
Payments on long-term borrowings	0	-1,450	-10
Proceeds from borrowings on credit facilities	810	340	371
Payments on borrowings from credit facilities	-810	-340	-380
Payments for acquisitions of treasury stock	-125	-500	-600
Cash used to net share settle employee equity awards	-51	-28	-20
Proceeds from issuances of shares of common stock	60	74	21
Cash used for financing activities	-150	-624	-764
Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash	-4	-1	3
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	370	10	-60
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	217	207	267
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	587	217	207
Supplemental Information
Cash paid for income taxes, net	74	67	97
Cash paid for interest	221	329	255
Fair value of contingent consideration recorded in purchase accounting	$3	$0	$467

Significant_Accounting_Policie

Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
	Principles of Consolidation
	Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Boston Scientific Corporation and our wholly-owned subsidiaries, after the elimination of intercompany transactions. We assess the terms of our investment interests to determine if any of our investees meet the definition of a variable interest entity (VIE). For any VIEs, we perform an analysis to determine whether our variable interests give us a controlling financial interest in a VIE. The analysis identifies the primary beneficiary of a VIE as the enterprise that has both 1) the power to direct activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and 2) the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the right to receive benefits from the entity. Based on our assessments under the applicable guidance, we did not have controlling financial or operating interests in any VIEs and therefore did not consolidate any VIEs during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012.
	On January 3, 2011, we closed the sale of our Neurovascular business to Stryker Corporation (Stryker). Due to our continuing involvement in the operations of the Neurovascular business following the divestiture, the divestiture did not meet the criteria for presentation as a discontinued operation and, therefore, the results of the Neurovascular business are included in our results of operations for all periods presented. Refer to Note C – Divestitures for a description of this business divestiture.
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying consolidated financial statements of Boston Scientific Corporation have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) and with the instructions to Form 10-K and Regulation S-X.
	Reclassifications
	Effective as of January 1, 2013, we reorganized our business from geographic regions to fully operationalized global business units. Our reorganization changed our reporting structure and changed the composition of our reporting units. As such, we have reclassified certain prior year amounts to conform to the current year’s presentation. We also restated segment information for the prior periods for the realignment of certain product lines from Endoscopy to Peripheral Interventions as of January 1, 2014. See Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets and Note O – Segment Reporting for further details.
	Additionally, certain prior year cash outflows from net share settling employee equity awards to satisfy their tax withholding requirement have been reclassified from an operating activity to a financing activity within our consolidated statements of cash flows. Amounts reclassified from operating to financing activities were not material.
	In addition, we restated components of our tabular disclosures of our deferred tax assets and liabilities along with our tabular rollforward of unrecognized tax benefit from prior year’s presentation, to include certain deferred tax assets that have been recorded net of valuation allowance and uncertain tax position. This restatement was performed to better present our overall deferred tax inventory and unrecognized tax positions but had no material impact on the prior year presentations of our consolidated statement of operation or consolidated balance sheet. See Note J - Income Taxes for further details.
	Finally, we restated segment information for the prior periods based on our internally-derived standard currency exchange rates used for the current period in order to remove the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Refer to Note O - Segment Reporting for further details.
	Subsequent Events
	We evaluate events occurring after the date of our accompanying consolidated balance sheets for potential recognition or disclosure in our financial statements. On February 13, 2015, we signed an agreement with Johnson & Johnson to settle the breach of merger agreement lawsuit brought by Johnson & Johnson against Guidant Corporation (Guidant), stemming from our acquisition of Guidant. As a result of the settlement agreement, Johnson & Johnson has agreed to dismiss permanently its action without acknowledgment of liability by Guidant. In exchange, we have agreed to make aggregate payments totaling $600 million to Johnson & Johnson. This settlement is considered a material recognized subsequent event and has been reflected appropriately in our accompanying consolidated financial statements. See Note K– Commitments and Contingencies for futher details.
	In addition, those items requiring disclosure (unrecognized subsequent events) in the financial statements have been disclosed accordingly. See Note K– Commitments and Contingencies for further details.
	Accounting Estimates
	To prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, management makes estimates and assumptions that may affect the reported amounts of our assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent liabilities as of the date of our financial statements and the reported amounts of our revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Our actual results may differ from these estimates. Refer to Critical Accounting Estimates included in Item 7 of this Annual Report for further discussion.
	Cash and Cash Equivalents
	We record cash and cash equivalents in our consolidated balance sheets at cost, which approximates fair value. Our policy is to invest excess cash in short-term marketable securities earning a market rate of interest without assuming undue risk to principal, and we limit our direct exposure to securities in any one industry or issuer. We consider all highly liquid investments purchased with a remaining maturity of three months or less at the time of acquisition to be cash equivalents.
	We record available-for-sale investments at fair value and exclude unrealized gains and temporary losses on available-for-sale securities from earnings, reporting such gains and losses, net of tax, as a separate component of stockholders’ equity, until realized. We compute realized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale securities based on the average cost method, adjusted for any other-than-temporary declines in fair value. We held no available-for-sale securities during 2014, 2013, and 2012.
	Concentrations of Credit Risk
	Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, derivative financial instrument contracts and accounts and notes receivable. Our investment policy limits exposure to concentrations of credit risk and changes in market conditions. Counterparties to financial instruments expose us to credit-related losses in the event of nonperformance. We transact our financial instruments with a diversified group of major financial institutions with investment grade credit ratings and actively monitor their credit ratings and our outstanding positions to limit our credit exposure. We provide credit, in the normal course of business, to hospitals, healthcare agencies, clinics, doctors' offices and other private and governmental institutions and generally do not require collateral. We record our accounts receivable in our consolidated balance sheets at net realizable value. We perform on-going credit evaluations of our customers and maintain allowances for potential credit losses, based on historical information and management's best estimates. Amounts determined to be uncollectible are written off against this reserve. We recorded write-offs of uncollectible accounts receivable of $15 million in 2014, $12 million in 2013, and $7 million in 2012. We are not dependent on any single institution and no single customer accounted for more than ten percent of our net sales in 2014, 2013, and 2012 or accounts receivable at December 31, 2014 or 2013; however, large group purchasing organizations, hospital networks and other buying groups have become increasingly important to our business and represent a substantial portion of our U.S. net sales.
	We closely monitor outstanding receivables for potential collection risks, including those that may arise from economic conditions, in both the U.S. and international economies. Our European sales to government-owned or supported customers in Southern Europe, specifically Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal are subject to an increased number of days outstanding relative to other countries prior to payment. Historically, receivable balances with certain publicly-owned hospitals in these countries accumulate over a period of time and are then subsequently settled as large lump sum payments. While we believe our allowance for doubtful accounts in these countries is adequate as of December 31, 2014, if significant changes were to occur in the payment practices of these European governments or if government funding becomes unavailable, we may not be able to collect on receivables due to us from these customers and our write-offs of uncollectible amounts may increase. As of December 31, 2014, our net receivables in these countries greater than 180 days past due totaled approximately $26 million, of which approximately $11 million were past due greater than 365 days.
	Revenue Recognition
	We generate revenue primarily from the sale of single-use medical devices, and present revenue net of sales taxes in our consolidated statements of operations. We sell our products primarily through a direct sales force. In certain international markets, we sell our products through independent distributors. We consider revenue to be realized or realizable and earned when all of the following criteria are met: persuasive evidence of a sales arrangement exists; delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; the price is fixed or determinable; and collectibility is reasonably assured. Revenue is recognized upon passage of title and risk of loss to customers, unless we are required to provide additional services, and provided we can form an estimate for sales returns. We recognize revenue from consignment arrangements based on product usage, or implant, which indicates that the sale is complete. For revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables, where the sale of a device is combined with a future service obligation, we defer revenue on the undelivered element and recognize this revenue over the related service period. Many of our Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) product offerings combine the sale of a device with our LATITUDE® Patient Management System, which represents a future service obligation. We do not have vendor specific objective evidence of selling price available related to our future service obligations; therefore, we determine our estimates of selling price using third party evidence when available; otherwise, we use our best estimate of selling price. We allocate arrangement consideration using the relative selling price method.
	We generally allow our customers to return defective, damaged and, in certain cases, expired products for credit. We base our estimate for sales returns upon historical trends and record the amount as a reduction to revenue when we sell the initial product. In addition, we may allow customers to return previously purchased products for next-generation product offerings. For these transactions, we defer recognition of revenue on the sale of the earlier generation product based upon an estimate of the amount of product to be returned when the next-generation products are shipped to the customer.
	We also offer sales rebates and discounts to certain customers. We treat sales rebates and discounts as a reduction of revenue and classify the corresponding liability as current. We estimate rebates for products where there is sufficient historical information available to predict the volume of expected future rebates. If we are unable to estimate the expected rebates reasonably, we record a liability for the maximum rebate percentage offered. We have entered certain agreements with group purchasing organizations to sell our products to participating hospitals at negotiated prices. We recognize revenue from these agreements following the same revenue recognition criteria discussed above.
	Warranty Obligations
	We offer warranties on certain of our product offerings. The majority of our warranty liability relates to implantable devices offered by our CRM business, which include defibrillator and pacemaker systems. Our CRM products come with a standard limited warranty covering the replacement of these devices. We offer a full warranty for a portion of the period post-implant, and a partial warranty for a period of time thereafter. We estimate the costs that we may incur under our warranty programs based on the number of units sold, historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims and cost per claim, and record a liability equal to these estimated costs as cost of products sold at the time the product sale occurs. We assess the adequacy of our recorded warranty liabilities on a quarterly basis and adjust these amounts as necessary.
	Changes in our product warranty accrual during 2014, 2013, and 2012 consisted of the following (in millions):
			Year Ended December 31,
			2014				2013			2012
	Beginning balance		$	28			$	26		$	30
	Provision		9				12			8
	Settlements/ reversals		(12		)		(10		)	(12		)
	Ending balance		$	25			$	28		$	26
	Inventories
	We state inventories at the lower of first-in, first-out cost or market. We base our provisions for excess, expired and obsolete inventory primarily on our estimates of forecasted net sales. A significant change in the timing or level of demand for our products as compared to forecasted amounts may result in recording additional provisions for excess, expired and obsolete inventory in the future. Further, the industry in which we participate is characterized by rapid product development and frequent new product introductions. Uncertain timing of next-generation product approvals, variability in product launch strategies, product recalls and variation in product utilization all affect our estimates related to excess, expired and obsolete inventory. Approximately 40 percent of our finished goods inventory as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 was at customer locations pursuant to consignment arrangements or held by sales representatives.
	Property, Plant and Equipment
	We state property, plant, equipment, and leasehold improvements at historical cost. We charge expenditures for maintenance and repairs to expense and capitalize additions and improvements that extend the life of the underlying asset. We provide for depreciation using the straight-line method at rates that approximate the estimated useful lives of the assets. We depreciate buildings and improvements over a 20 to 40 year life; equipment, furniture and fixtures over a three to ten year life; and leasehold improvements over the shorter of the useful life of the improvement or the term of the related lease. Depreciation expense was $287 million in 2014, $279 million in 2013, and $288 million in 2012.
	Valuation of Business Combinations
	We allocate the amounts we pay for each acquisition to the assets we acquire and liabilities we assume based on their fair values at the dates of acquisition, including identifiable intangible assets and in-process research and development which either arise from a contractual or legal right or are separable from goodwill. We base the fair value of identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination, including in-process research and development, on detailed valuations that use information and assumptions provided by management, which consider management’s best estimates of inputs and assumptions that a market participant would use. We allocate any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired to goodwill. Transaction costs associated with these acquisitions are expensed as incurred through selling, general and administrative costs.
	In those circumstances where an acquisition involves a contingent consideration arrangement, we recognize a liability equal to the fair value of the contingent payments we expect to make as of the acquisition date. We re-measure this liability each reporting period and record changes in the fair value through a separate line item within our consolidated statements of operations. Increases or decreases in the fair value of the contingent consideration liability can result from changes in discount periods and rates, as well as changes in the timing and amount of revenue estimates or in the timing or likelihood of achieving regulatory, revenue or commercialization-based milestones.
	Indefinite-lived Intangibles, including In-Process Research and Development
	Our indefinite-lived intangible assets that are not subject to amortization include acquired balloon and other technology, which is foundational to our continuing operations within the Cardiovascular market and other markets within interventional medicine, and in-process research and development intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Our in-process research and development represents intangible assets acquired in a business combination that are used in research and development activities but have not yet reached technological feasibility, regardless of whether they have alternative future use. The primary basis for determining the technological feasibility or completion of these projects is obtaining regulatory approval to market the underlying products in an applicable geographic region. We classify in-process research and development acquired in a business combination as an indefinite-lived intangible asset until the completion or abandonment of the associated research and development efforts. Upon completion of the associated research and development efforts, we will determine the useful life of the technology and begin amortizing the assets to reflect their use over their remaining lives. Upon permanent abandonment, we would write-off the remaining carrying amount of the associated in-process research and development intangible asset.
	We test our indefinite-lived intangible assets at least annually during the third quarter for impairment and reassess their classification as indefinite-lived assets; in addition, we review our indefinite-lived assets for classification and impairment more frequently if changes in circumstances or indicators exist. We assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that our indefinite-lived intangible assets are impaired. If we conclude that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired, we then determine the fair value of the intangible asset and perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value with the carrying value in accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset, we write the carrying value down to the fair value.
	We use the income approach to determine the fair values of our in-process research and development. This approach calculates fair value by estimating the after-tax cash flows attributable to an in-process project over its useful life and then discounting these after-tax cash flows back to a present value. We base our revenue assumptions on estimates of relevant market sizes, expected market growth rates, expected trends in technology and expected levels of market share. In arriving at the value of the in-process projects, we consider, among other factors: the in-process projects’ stage of completion; the complexity of the work completed as of the acquisition date; the costs already incurred; the projected costs to complete; the contribution of other acquired assets; the expected regulatory path and introduction dates by region; and the estimated useful life of the technology. We apply a market-participant risk-adjusted discount rate to arrive at a present value as of the date of acquisition. See Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for more information related to indefinite-lived intangibles, including in-process research and development during 2014, 2013, and 2012.
	For asset purchases outside of business combinations, we expense any purchased research and development assets as of the acquisition date.
	Amortization and Impairment of Intangible Assets
	We record intangible assets at historical cost and amortize them over their estimated useful lives. We use a straight-line method of amortization, unless a method that better reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible asset are consumed or otherwise used up can be reliably determined. The approximate useful lives for amortization of our intangible assets are as follows: patents and licenses, two to 20 years; definite-lived technology-related, five to 25 years; customer relationships, five to 25 years; other intangible assets, various.
	We review intangible assets subject to amortization quarterly to determine if any adverse conditions exist or a change in circumstances has occurred that would indicate impairment or a change in the remaining useful life. Conditions that may indicate impairment include, but are not limited to, a significant adverse change in legal factors or business climate that could affect the value of an asset, a product recall, or an adverse action or assessment by a regulator. If an impairment indicator exists, we test the intangible asset for recoverability. For purposes of the recoverability test, we group our amortizable intangible assets with other assets and liabilities at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows if the intangible asset does not generate cash flows independent of other assets and liabilities. If the carrying value of the intangible asset (asset group) exceeds the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the intangible asset (asset group), we will write the carrying value down to the fair value in the period identified.
	We calculate fair value of our intangible assets as the present value of estimated future cash flows we expect to generate from the asset using a risk-adjusted discount rate. In determining our estimated future cash flows associated with our intangible assets, we use estimates and assumptions about future revenue contributions, cost structures and remaining useful lives of the asset (asset group). See Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for more information related to impairments of intangible assets during 2014, 2013, and 2012.
	For patents developed internally, we capitalize costs incurred to obtain patents, including attorney fees, registration fees, consulting fees, and other expenditures directly related to securing the patent.
	Goodwill Valuation
	Effective as of January 1, 2013, we reorganized our business from geographic regions to fully operationalized global business units. Our reorganization changed our reporting structure and changed the composition of our reporting units for goodwill impairment testing purposes. Following the reorganization, based on information regularly reviewed by our chief operating decision maker, we have three new global reportable segments consisting of: Cardiovascular, Rhythm Management, and MedSurg. We determined our new global reporting units by identifying our operating segments and assessing whether any components of these segments constituted a business for which discrete financial information is available and whether segment management regularly reviews the operating results of any components. Through this process, we identified the following new global reporting units as of January 1, 2013: Interventional Cardiology, Peripheral Interventions, Cardiac Rhythm Management, Electrophysiology, Endoscopy, Urology and Women's Health, and Neuromodulation. The discussion below for 2014 and 2013 relates to our global business reporting units and for 2012 relates to our former regional reporting units.
	We allocate any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination to goodwill. We test our goodwill balances during the second quarter of each year for impairment, or more frequently if indicators are present or changes in circumstances suggest that impairment may exist. In performing the assessment, we utilize the two-step approach prescribed under ASC Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). The first step requires a comparison of the carrying value of the reporting units, as defined, to the fair value of these units. We assess goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level, which is defined as an operating segment or one level below an operating segment, referred to as a component. We determine our reporting units by first identifying our operating segments, and then assess whether any components of these segments constitute a business for which discrete financial information is available and where segment management regularly reviews the operating results of that component. We aggregate components within an operating segment that have similar economic characteristics. For our 2014 and 2013 annual impairment assessment we identified seven reporting units, including Interventional Cardiology, Peripheral Interventions, Cardiac Rhythm Management, Electrophysiology, Endoscopy, Urology and Women's Health and Neuromodulation. For our 2012 impairment assessments, we identified six reporting units within the U.S., including our CRM, Neuromodulation, Endoscopy, Urology and Women's Health, Electrophysiology, and Cardiovascular (consisting of Interventional Cardiology and Peripheral Interventions) franchises, which in aggregate comprised the U.S. reportable segment. In addition, we identified four international reporting units, including Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA); Japan; Asia Pacific; and the Americas.
	When allocating goodwill from business combinations to our reporting units, we assign goodwill to the reporting units that we expect to benefit from the respective business combination at the time of acquisition. In addition, for purposes of performing our goodwill impairment tests, assets and liabilities, including corporate assets, which relate to a reporting unit’s operations, and would be considered in determining its fair value, are allocated to the individual reporting units. We allocate assets and liabilities not directly related to a specific reporting unit, but from which the reporting unit benefits, based primarily on the respective revenue contribution of each reporting unit.
	During 2014, 2013, and 2012, we used only the income approach, specifically the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method, to derive the fair value of each of our reporting units in preparing our goodwill impairment assessments. This approach calculates fair value by estimating the after-tax cash flows attributable to a reporting unit and then discounting these after-tax cash flows to a present value using a risk-adjusted discount rate. We selected this method as being the most meaningful in preparing our goodwill assessments because we believe the income approach most appropriately measures our income producing assets. We have considered using the market approach and cost approach but concluded they are not appropriate in valuing our reporting units given the lack of relevant market comparisons available for application of the market approach and the inability to replicate the value of the specific technology-based assets within our reporting units for application of the cost approach. Therefore, we believe that the income approach represents the most appropriate valuation technique for which sufficient data are available to determine the fair value of our reporting units.
	In applying the income approach to our accounting for goodwill, we make assumptions about the amount and timing of future expected cash flows, terminal value growth rates and appropriate discount rates. The amount and timing of future cash flows within our DCF analysis is based on our most recent operational budgets, long range strategic plans and other estimates. The terminal value growth rate is used to calculate the value of cash flows beyond the last projected period in our DCF analysis and reflects our best estimates for stable, perpetual growth of our reporting units. We use estimates of market-participant risk-adjusted weighted average cost of capital (WACC) as a basis for determining the discount rates to apply to our reporting units’ future expected cash flows.
	If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, we then perform the second step of the goodwill impairment test to measure the amount of impairment loss, if any. If the carrying value of a reporting unit is zero or negative, we evaluate whether it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. If we determine adverse qualitative factors exist that would indicate it is more likely than not an impairment exists, we then perform the second step of the goodwill test. The second step of the goodwill impairment test compares the estimated fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill to its carrying value. If we were unable to complete the second step of the test prior to the issuance of our financial statements and an impairment loss was probable and could be reasonably estimated, we would recognize our best estimate of the loss in our current period financial statements and disclose that the amount is an estimate. We would then recognize any adjustment to that estimate in subsequent reporting periods, once we have finalized the second step of the impairment test. See Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for discussion of our goodwill impairment charges.
	Investments in Publicly Traded and Privately Held Entities
	We account for our publicly traded investments as available-for-sale securities based on the quoted market price at the end of the reporting period. We compute realized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale securities based on the average cost method, adjusted for any other-than-temporary declines in fair value. We held no available-for-sale securities during 2014, 2013, and 2012.
	We account for investments in entities over which we have the ability to exercise significant influence under the equity method if we hold 50 percent or less of the voting stock and the entity is not a VIE in which we are the primary beneficiary in accordance with ASC Topic 323, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures. We record these investments initially at cost, and adjust the carrying amount to reflect our share of the earnings or losses of the investee, including all adjustments similar to those made in preparing consolidated financial statements. The book value of investments that we accounted for under the equity method of accounting was $10 million as of December 31, 2014 and $18 million as of December 31, 2013. We account for investments in entities in which we have less than a 20 percent ownership interest under the cost method of accounting if we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee in accordance with ASC Topic 325, Investments - Other. The aggregate carrying amount of our cost method investments was $27 million as of December 31, 2014 and $20 million as of December 31, 2013. In addition, we had notes receivable from certain companies that we account for under the cost method of $17 million as of December 31, 2014 and $13 million as of December 31, 2013, which are accounted for in accordance with ASC Topic 320, Investments - Debt and Equity Securities.
	Each reporting period, we evaluate our investments to determine if there are any events or circumstances that are likely to have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. Examples of such impairment indicators include, but are not limited to: a significant deterioration in earnings performance; recent financing rounds at reduced valuations; a significant adverse change in the regulatory, economic or technological environment of an investee; or a significant doubt about an investee’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we identify an impairment indicator, we will estimate the fair value of the investment and compare it to its carrying value. Our estimation of fair value considers all available financial information related to the investee, including valuations based on recent third-party equity investments in the investee. If the fair value of the investment is less than its carrying value, the investment is impaired and we make a determination as to whether the impairment is other-than-temporary. We deem an impairment to be other-than-temporary unless we have the ability and intent to hold an investment for a period sufficient for a market recovery up to the carrying value of the investment. Further, evidence must indicate that the carrying value of the investment is recoverable within a reasonable period. For other-than-temporary impairments, we recognize an impairment loss equal to the difference between an investment’s carrying value and its fair value. Impairment losses on our investments are included in other, net in our consolidated statements of operations.
	Income Taxes
We utilize the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, we determine deferred tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of our assets and liabilities. We measure deferred tax assets and liabilities using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when we expect the differences to reverse. We reduce our deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if, based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that we will not realize some portion or all of the deferred tax assets. We consider relevant evidence, both positive and negative, to determine the need for a valuation allowance. Information evaluated includes our financial position and results of operations for the current and preceding years, the availability of deferred tax liabilities and tax carrybacks, as well as an evaluation of currently available information about future years.
We have not provided U.S. income taxes and foreign withholding taxes on the undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 because we intend to permanently reinvest such earnings outside the U.S. As of December 31, 2014, the cumulative amount of excess financial reporting basis over the tax basis of investments in foreign subsidiaries that is indefinitely reinvested is approximately $7.7 billion. Generally, such amounts become subject to U.S. taxation upon the remittance of dividends and under certain other circumstances. It is not practicable to estimate the amount of deferred tax liability related to investments in these foreign subsidiaries.
We provide for potential amounts due in various tax jurisdictions. In the ordinary course of conducting business in multiple countries and tax jurisdictions, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax outcome is uncertain. Judgment is required in determining our worldwide income tax provision. In our opinion, we have made adequate provisions for income taxes for all years subject to audit. Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, the final outcome of open tax matters may be different from that which we have reflected in our historical income tax provisions and accruals. Such differences could have a material impact on our income tax provision and operating results. See Note J - Income Taxes for further information and discussion of our income tax provision and balances.
Legal and Product Liability Costs
In the normal course of business, we are involved in various legal and regulatory proceedings, including intellectual property, breach of contract, securities litigation and product liability suits. In some cases, the claimants seek damages, as well as other relief, which, if granted, could require significant expenditures or impact our ability to sell our products. We are also the subject of certain governmental investigations, which could result in substantial fines, penalties, and administrative remedies. We maintain an insurance policy providing limited coverage against securities claims, and we are substantially self-insured with respect to product liability claims and fully self-insured with respect to intellectual property infringement claims. We accrue anticipated costs of settlement, damages, losses for product liability claims and, under certain conditions, costs of defense, based on historical experience or to the extent specific losses are probable and estimable. Otherwise, we expense these costs as incurred. If the estimate of a probable loss is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, we accrue the minimum amount of the range. We analyze litigation settlements to identify each element of the arrangement. We allocate arrangement consideration to patent licenses received based on estimates of fair value, and capitalize these amounts as assets if the license will provide an on-going future benefit. See Note K - Commitments and Contingencies for discussion of our individual material legal proceedings.
Costs Associated with Exit Activities
We record employee termination costs in accordance with ASC Topic 712, Compensation - Nonretirement and Postemployment Benefits, if we pay the benefits as part of an on-going benefit arrangement, which includes benefits provided as part of our established severance policies or that we provide in accordance with international statutory requirements. We accrue employee termination costs associated with an on-going benefit arrangement if the obligation is attributable to prior services rendered, the rights to the benefits have vested, the payment is probable and we can reasonably estimate the liability. We account for employee termination benefits that represent a one-time benefit in accordance with ASC Topic 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations. We record such costs into expense over the employee’s future service period, if any.
Other costs associated with exit activities may include contract termination costs, including costs related to leased facilities to be abandoned or subleased, consultant fees and impairments of long-lived assets. The costs are expensed in accordance with ASC Topic 420 and ASC Topic 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment and are included in restructuring charges in our consolidated statement of operations. Additionally, costs directly related to our active restructuring initiatives, including program management costs, accelerated depreciation, and costs to transfer product lines among facilities are included within costs of products sold and selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statement of operations. See Note H - Restructuring-Related Activities for further information and discussion of our restructuring plans.
Translation of Foreign Currency
We translate all assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries from local currency into U.S. dollars using the year-end exchange rate, and translate revenues and expenses at the average exchange rates in effect during the year. We show the net effect of these translation adjustments in our consolidated financial statements as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. For any significant foreign subsidiaries located in highly inflationary economies, we would re-measure their financial statements as if the functional currency were the U.S. dollar. We did not record any highly inflationary economy translation adjustments in 2014, 2013 or 2012.
Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in other, net in our consolidated statements of operations, net of losses and gains from any related derivative financial instruments. We recognized net foreign currency transaction losses of $18 million in 2014, $11 million in 2013, and $18 million in 2012.
Financial Instruments
We recognize all derivative financial instruments in our consolidated financial statements at fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and we present assets and liabilities associated with our derivative financial instruments on a gross basis in our financial statements. In accordance with Topic 815, for those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the hedging instrument must be designated, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. The accounting for changes in the fair value (i.e. gains or losses) of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and, further, on the type of hedging relationship. Our derivative instruments do not subject our earnings or cash flows to material risk, as gains and losses on these derivatives generally offset losses and gains on the item being hedged. We do not enter into derivative transactions for speculative purposes and we do not have any non-derivative instruments that are designated as hedging instruments pursuant to Topic 815. Refer to Note E – Fair Value Measurements for more information on our derivative instruments.
Shipping and Handling Costs
We generally do not bill customers for shipping and handling of our products. Shipping and handling costs of $100 million in 2014, $97 million in 2013, and $105 million in 2012 are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
Research and Development
We expense research and development costs, including new product development programs, regulatory compliance and clinical research as incurred. Refer to Indefinite-lived Intangibles, including In-Process Research and Development for our policy regarding in-process research and development acquired in connection with our business combinations and asset purchases.
Employee Retirement Plans
Following our 2006 acquisition of Guidant, we sponsor the Guidant Retirement Plan, a frozen noncontributory defined benefit plan covering a select group of current and former employees. The funding policy for the plan is consistent with U.S. employee benefit and tax-funding regulations. Plan assets, which are maintained in a trust, consist primarily of fixed-income instruments. The Guidant Retirement Plan was terminated effective December 1, 2014. The plan was partially frozen as of September 25, 1995 and completely frozen as of May 31, 2007. As a result, in general, no employees have been eligible to become a participant in the plan after September 25, 1995 and participants ceased earning additional benefits under the plan after September 25, 1995 or May 31, 2007. We expect to finalize the termination process and settle the majority of the plan’s obligations by the end of 2015. Further, we sponsor the Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan, a frozen, nonqualified defined benefit plan for certain former officers and employees of Guidant. The Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan was funded through a Rabbi Trust that contains segregated company assets used to pay the benefit obligations related to the plan. In addition, certain current and former employees of Guidant were eligible to receive a portion of their healthcare retirement benefits under a frozen defined benefit plan; this plan was terminated effective December 31, 2014.
In addition, we maintain an Executive Retirement Plan, a defined benefit plan covering executive officers and division presidents and certain persons that may have served in these roles. Participants may retire with unreduced benefits once retirement conditions have been satisfied. We also maintain retirement plans covering certain international employees.
We use a December 31 measurement date for these plans and record the underfunded portion as a liability, recognizing changes in the funded status through other comprehensive income (OCI). The outstanding obligation as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 is as follows:
		As of December 31, 2014										As of December 31, 2013
(in millions)		Projected				Fair value of Plan Assets			Underfunded			Projected		Fair value of Plan Assets		Underfunded
		Benefit							PBO Recognized			Benefit				PBO Recognized
		Obligation (PBO)										Obligation (PBO)
Executive Retirement Plan		$	13			$	—		$	13		$	10	$	—	$	10
Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)		148				140			8			120		114		6
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)		34				—			34			31		—		31
Guidant Healthcare Retirement Benefit Plan (frozen)		—				—			—			3		—		3
International Retirement Plans		90				51			39			84		52		32
		$	285			$	191		$	94		$	248	$	166	$	82
The value of the Rabbi Trust assets used to pay the Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan benefits included in our accompanying consolidated financial statements was approximately $14 million as of December 31, 2014 and $17 million as of December 31, 2013.
The critical assumptions associated with our employee retirement plans as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:
			Expected Return		Rate of
	Discount		on Plan Assets		Compensation
	Rate				Increase
Executive Retirement Plan	3.50%				3.00%
Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)	4.00%		5.50%
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)	4.00%
International Retirement Plans	1.00% - 2.20%		2.75% - 4.10%		3.00% - 6.78%
We base our discount rate on the rates of return available on high-quality bonds with maturities approximating the expected period over which benefits will be paid. The rate of compensation increase is based on historical and expected rate increases. We base our rate of expected return on plan assets on historical experience, our investment guidelines and expectations for long-term rates of return.
A rollforward of the changes in the fair value of plan assets for our funded retirement plans during 2014 and 2013 is as follows:
		Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)		2014				2013
Beginning fair value		$	166			$	130
Actual return on plan assets		26				25
Employer contributions		16				32
Benefits paid		(11		)		(15		)
Net transfers in (out)		—				—
Foreign currency exchange		(6		)		(6		)
Ending fair value		$	191			$	166
We also sponsor a voluntary 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan for eligible employees. We match 200 percent of employee elective deferrals for the first two percent of employee eligible compensation, and 50 percent of employee elective deferrals greater than two percent, but not exceeding six percent, of employee eligible compensation. Total expense for our matching contributions to the plan was $63 million in 2014, $59 million in 2013, and $63 million in 2012.
Net Income (Loss) per Common Share
We base net income (loss) per common share upon the weighted-average number of common shares and common stock equivalents outstanding during each year. Potential common stock equivalents are determined using the treasury stock method. We exclude stock options whose effect would be anti-dilutive from the calculation.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]
ACQUISITIONS	ACQUISITIONS
	Our consolidated financial statements include the operating results for each acquired entity from its respective date of acquisition. We do not present pro forma financial information for these acquisitions given their results are not material to our consolidated financial statements. Transaction costs associated with these acquisitions were expensed as incurred and are not material for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012.
	2014 Acquisitions
	Interventional Business of Bayer AG
	On August 29, 2014, we completed the acquisition of the Interventional Division of Bayer AG (Bayer), for a total cash consideration of $414 million. We believe that this acquisition enhances our ability to offer physicians and healthcare systems a more complete portfolio of solutions to treat challenging vascular conditions. The transaction includes the AngioJet® Thrombectomy System and the Fetch® 2 Aspiration Catheter, which are used in endovascular procedures to remove blood clots from blocked arteries and veins, and the JetStream® Atherectomy System, used to remove plaque and thrombi from diseased arteries. We are integrating the operations of the Bayer business with our Peripheral Intervention and Interventional Cardiology divisions.
	IoGyn, Inc.
	On May 7, 2014, we completed the acquisition of the remaining fully diluted equity of IoGyn, Inc. (IoGyn). Prior to the acquisition, we held a 28 percent minority interest in IoGyn in addition to notes receivable of approximately $8 million. Total consideration was comprised of a net cash payment of $65 million at closing to acquire the remaining 72 percent of IoGyn equity and repay outstanding debt. IoGyn has developed the SymphionTM System, a next generation system for hysteroscopic intrauterine tissue removal including fibroids (myomas) and polyps. In March 2014, IoGyn received U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the system and in October 2014, we began a limited market release of the system in the United States. We are integrating the operations of the IoGyn business with our gynecological surgery business, which is part of our Urology and Women’s Health division.
	In addition, we completed other acquisitions during 2014 for total consideration of $7 million cash at closing plus contingent consideration of up to $4 million.
	Purchase Price Allocation
	We accounted for these acquisitions as business combinations and, in accordance with ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations, we have recorded the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their respective fair values as of the acquisition date. The components of the aggregate preliminary purchase price for Bayer and IoGyn acquisitions are as follows (in millions):
	Cash, net of cash acquired	$	479
	Fair value of prior interests	31
		$	510
	Total consideration for the 2014 acquisitions included cash payments of $510 million, net of cash acquired, at closing of the transaction.
	In addition, prior to the acquisition of IoGyn, we had an equity interest in IoGyn and held $8 million of notes receivables. We re-measured our previously held investments to their estimated acquisition-date fair value of $31 million and recorded a gain of $19 million in other, net, in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations during the second quarter of 2014. We measured the fair values of the previously held investments based on the liquidation preferences and priority of the equity interest and debt, including accrued interest.
	The following summarizes the aggregate preliminary purchase price allocation for Bayer and IoGyn as of December 31, 2014:
	Goodwill	$	210
	Amortizable intangible assets	263
	Inventory	23
	Property, Plant and Equipment	17
	Prepaid Transaction Service Agreement	5
	Other net assets	(1		)
	Deferred income taxes	(7		)
		$	510
	We allocated a portion of the preliminary purchase price to specific intangible asset categories as follows:
		Amount				Weighted	Range of Risk-
		Assigned				Average	Adjusted Discount
		(in millions)				Amortization	Rates used in
						Period	Purchase Price
						(in years)	Allocation
	Amortizable intangible assets:
	Technology-related	$	233			14-Oct	14 - 18 %
	Customer Relationships	29				10	18%
	Other intangible assets	1				2	14%
		$	263
	We believe that the estimated intangible asset values represent the fair value at the date of acquisition and do not exceed the amount a third party would pay for the assets. These fair value measurements are based on significant unobservable inputs, including management estimates and assumptions and, accordingly, are classified as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy prescribed by ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures.
	We recorded the excess of the aggregate purchase price over the estimated fair values of the identifiable assets acquired as goodwill, the majority of which is deductible for tax purposes. Goodwill was established due primarily to cost synergies expected to be gained from the integration of the businesses into our existing operations, as well as revenue and cash flow projections associated with future technologies, and has been allocated to our reportable segments based on the relative expected benefit. See Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for more information related to goodwill allocated to our reportable segments.
	2013 Acquisition
	On November 1, 2013, we completed the acquisition of the electrophysiology business of C.R. Bard Inc. (Bard EP), for $274 million in cash. This acquisition added a strong commercial team and complementary portfolio of ablation catheters, diagnostic tools, and electrophysiology recording systems, which we believe will allow us to better serve the global Electrophysiology market through a more comprehensive portfolio offering and sales infrastructure.
	Purchase Price Allocation
	We accounted for this acquisition as a business combination and, in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations, we have recorded the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their respective fair values as of the acquisition date. The components of the aggregate preliminary purchase price for the acquisition consummated in 2013 are as follows (in millions):
	Cash, net of cash acquired	$	274
	Fair value of contingent consideration	—
	Fair value of prior interests	—
	Fair value of debt assumed	—
		$	274
	The following summarizes the aggregate purchase price allocation for the 2013 acquisition (in millions):
	Goodwill	$	140
	Amortizable intangible assets	112
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets	—
	Other net assets	19
	Deferred income taxes	3
		$	274
	We recorded the excess of the aggregate purchase price over the estimated fair values of the identifiable assets acquired as goodwill, the majority of which is deductible for tax purposes.
	We allocated a portion of the purchase price to specific intangible asset categories as of the respective acquisition dates as follows:
		Amount				Weighted	Range of Risk-
		Assigned				Average	Adjusted Discount
		(in millions)				Amortization	Rates used in
						Period	Purchase Price
						(in years)	Allocation
	Amortizable intangible assets:
	Technology-related	$	82			10	11.50%
	Customer relationships	30				7	11.50%
		$	112
2012 Acquisitions
Cameron Health, Inc.
On June 8, 2012, we completed the acquisition of the remaining equity of Cameron Health, Inc. (Cameron). Cameron has developed the world's first and only commercially available subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator - the S-ICD® system. We have integrated the operations of the Cameron business into our CRM business. Total consideration included an initial $150 million cash payment at closing of the transaction, a payment of $150 million upon FDA approval of the S-ICD® system, which was paid to the former shareholders of Cameron after the receipt of FDA approval during the fourth quarter of 2012, and up to an additional $1.050 billion of potential payments upon achievement of specified revenue-based milestones over a six-year period following FDA approval.
BridgePoint Medical, Inc.
On October 4, 2012, we completed the acquisition of 100 percent of the fully diluted equity of BridgePoint Medical, Inc. (BridgePoint), a developer of catheter-based systems to treat coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs). We have integrated the operations of the BridgePoint business into our Interventional Cardiology division. Total consideration included an initial $20 million at closing of the transaction and up to an additional $90 million of revenue-based earnouts and milestones through 2016.
Rhythmia Medical, Inc.
On October 8, 2012, we completed the acquisition of 100 percent of the fully diluted equity of Rhythmia Medical, Inc. (Rhythmia). Rhythmia is a developer of next-generation mapping and navigation solutions for use in cardiac catheter ablations and other electrophysiology procedures, including atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. We have integrated the operations of the Rhythmia business into our Electrophysiology division. Total consideration included an initial $90 million at closing of the transaction and up to an additional $175 million of regulatory and revenue-based milestones and earnouts through 2017.
Vessix Vascular, Inc.
On November 19, 2012, we completed the acquisition of 100 percent of the fully diluted equity of Vessix Vascular, Inc. (Vessix). Vessix is a developer of a therapy to treat uncontrolled hypertension, or high blood pressure. We have integrated the operations of the Vessix business into our Peripheral Interventions division. Total consideration included an initial $125 million at closing of the transaction and up to an additional $300 million of clinical and revenue-based milestones and earnouts through 2016.
Purchase Price Allocation
The components of the aggregate purchase price for the acquisitions consummated in 2012 are as follows (in millions):
Cash, net of cash acquired	$	367
Fair value of contingent consideration	467
Fair value of prior interests	79
Fair value of debt assumed	9
	$	922
Total consideration for the 2012 acquisitions included $367 million of initial cash payments, net of cash acquired, at closing of the transactions, with potential payments of up to an additional $1.615 billion based upon achievement of certain regulatory- and commercialization-related milestones and revene-based milestones and earnouts through 2018. As of the respective acquisition dates, we recorded total contingent consideration liabilities of $467 million, representing the estimated fair value of the contingent consideration we expected to pay to the former shareholders of the acquired companies. The fair value of the contingent consideration liabilities was estimated by discounting, to present value, contingent payments expected to be made. In certain circumstances, we utilized a probability-weighted approach or monte carlo revenue simulation model to determine the fair value of contingent consideration.
Prior to the acquisition of Cameron, we had an equity interest in Cameron and held $40 million of notes receivable. We re-measured our previously held investments to their estimated acquisition-date fair value of $79 million and recorded a gain of $39 million in other, net in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations during the second quarter of 2012. We measured the fair values of the previously held investments based on the liquidation preferences and priority of the equity interests and debt, including accrued interest. In addition, we prepaid the assumed debt obligation of Cameron for approximately $9 million during the second quarter of 2012.
The following summarizes the aggregate purchase price allocation for the 2012 acquisitions (in millions):
Goodwill (non-deductible for tax purposes)	$	566
Amortizable intangible assets	189
Indefinite-lived intangible assets	132
Other net assets	15
Deferred income taxes	20
	$	922
We recorded the excess of the aggregate purchase price over the estimated fair values of the identifiable assets acquired as goodwill, which is non-deductible for tax purposes.
We allocated a portion of the final purchase price to specific intangible asset categories as of the respective acquisition dates as follows:
	Amount				Weighted	Range of Risk-
	Assigned				Average	Adjusted Discount
	(in millions)				Amortization	Rates used in
					Period	Purchase Price
					(in years)	Allocation
Amortizable intangible assets:
Technology-related	$	187			8	14 - 28%
Customer relationships	2				5	14%
Indefinite-lived intangible assets:
In-process research and development	132					14 - 28%
	$	321
Our technology-related intangible assets consist of technical processes, intellectual property, and institutional understanding with respect to products and processes that we will leverage in future products or processes and will carry forward from one product generation to the next. We used the income approach to derive the fair value of the technology-related intangible assets, and are amortizing them on a straight-line basis over their assigned estimated useful lives.
Customer relationships represent the estimated fair value of the non-contractual customer and distributor relationships. Customer relationships are direct relationships with physicians and hospitals performing procedures with the acquired products, and distributor relationships are relationships with third parties used to sell products, both as of the acquisition date. These relationships were valued separately from goodwill as there is a history and pattern of conducting relationships with the customers and distributors on a contractual basis. We used the replacement cost and lost profits methodology to derive the fair value of the customer relationships. The customer relationships intangible assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their assigned estimated useful lives.
Contingent Consideration
Certain of our acquisitions involve contingent consideration arrangements. Payment of additional consideration is generally contingent on the acquired company reaching certain performance milestones, including attaining specified revenue levels, achieving product development targets or obtaining regulatory approvals. In accordance with U.S. GAAP, we recognize a liability equal to the fair value of the contingent payments we expect to make as of the acquisition date. We re-measure this liability each reporting period and record changes in the fair value through a separate line item within our consolidated statements of operations.
We recorded a net benefit related to the change in fair value of our contingent consideration liabilities of $85 million during 2014, a net expense related to the change in fair value of our contingent consideration liabilities of $4 million during 2013, and a net benefit related to the change in fair value of our contingent consideration liabilities of $6 million during 2012. We made contingent consideration payments of $137 million, $165 million and $154 million in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Changes in our contingent consideration liability were as follows (in millions):
Balance as of December 31, 2012	$	663
Amounts recorded related to new acquisitions	—
Other amounts recorded related to prior acquisitions	(1		)
Fair value adjustment	4
Contingent payments related to prior period acquisition	(165		)
Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	501
Amounts recorded related to new acquisitions	3
Other amounts recorded related to prior acquisitions	(8		)
Fair value adjustment	(85		)
Contingent payments related to prior period acquisition	(137		)
Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	274
As of December 31, 2014, the maximum amount of future contingent consideration (undiscounted) that we could be required to make associated with our acquisitions is approximately $1.908 billion.
Increases or decreases in the fair value of our contingent consideration liability can result from changes in discount periods and rates, as well as changes in the timing and amount of revenue estimates or in the timing or likelihood of achieving regulatory-, revenue- or commercialization-based milestones. The recurring Level 3 fair value measurements of our contingent consideration liability include the following significant unobservable inputs:
Contingent Consideration Liability	Fair Value as of December 31, 2014	Valuation Technique	Unobservable Input	Range
R&D, Regulatory and Commercialization-based Milestones	$85 million	Probability Weighted Discounted Cash Flow	Discount Rate	1.10%
			Probability of Payment	84% - 95%
			Projected Year of Payment	2015
Revenue-based Payments	$55 million	Discounted Cash Flow	Discount Rate	11.5% - 15%
			Probability of Payment	0% - 100%
			Projected Year of Payment	2015 - 2018
	$134 million	Monte Carlo	Revenue Volatility	11% - 13%
			Risk Free Rate	LIBOR Term Structure
			Projected Year of Payment	2015 - 2018
Contingent consideration liabilities are remeasured to fair value each reporting period using projected revenues, discount rates, probabilities of payment and projected payment dates. Projected contingent payment amounts related to R&D, regulatory- and commercialization-based milestones and certain revenue-based milestones are discounted back to the current period using a discounted cash flow model. Other revenue-based payments are valued using a monte carlo valuation model, which simulates future revenues during the earn out-period using management's best estimates. Projected revenues are based on our most recent internal operational budgets and long-range strategic plans. Increases in projected revenues and probabilities of payment may result in higher fair value measurements. Increases in discount rates and the time to payment may result in lower fair value measurements. Increases or decreases in any of those inputs in isolation may result in a significantly lower or higher fair value measurement.

Divestitures

Divestitures	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Divestitures and Assets Held for Sale [Abstract]
DIVESTITURES	DIVESTITURES
	In January 2011, we closed the sale of our Neurovascular business to Stryker Corporation for a purchase price of $1.500 billion in cash. We received $1.450 billion during 2011, an additional $10 million during 2012, $30 million during 2013 and we received the final amount due to us in 2014. At the time of divestiture, due to our continuing involvement in the operations of the Neurovascular business following the transaction, the divestiture did not meet the criteria for presentation as a discontinued operation. Our sales related to our divested Neurovascular business have declined as the various transition services and supply agreements have terminated.
	We recorded a gain of $12 million during 2014, a gain of $38 million during 2013 and a gain of $15 million during 2012 associated with the transaction.
	We recorded revenue related to the Neurovascular business following its divestiture of $4 million in 2014, $58 million in 2013 and $122 million in 2012.

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS	GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
	The gross carrying amount of goodwill and other intangible assets and the related accumulated amortization for intangible assets subject to amortization and accumulated write-offs of goodwill as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 is as follows:
			As of December 31, 2014							As of December 31, 2013
			Gross Carrying				Accumulated			Gross Carrying			Accumulated
							Amortization/						Amortization/
	(in millions)		Amount				Write-offs			Amount			Write-offs
	Amortizable intangible assets
	Technology-related		$	8,406			$	(3,697	)	$	8,272		$	(3,342	)
	Patents		519				(342		)	513			(326		)
	Other intangible assets		875				(533		)	845			(479		)
			$	9,800			$	(4,572	)	$	9,630		$	(4,147	)
	Unamortizable intangible assets
	Goodwill		$	15,798			$	(9,900	)	$	15,593		$	(9,900	)
	Technology-related		197				—			197			—
			$	15,995			$	(9,900	)	$	15,790		$	(9,900	)
	In addition, we had $181 million and $270 million of in-process research and development intangible assets as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.
	Our technology-related intangible assets that are not subject to amortization represent technical processes, intellectual property and/or institutional understanding acquired through business combinations that are fundamental to the on-going operations of our business and have no limit to their useful life. Our technology-related intangible assets that are not subject to amortization are comprised primarily of certain acquired balloon and other technology, which is foundational to our continuing operations within the Cardiovascular market and other markets within interventional medicine. We assess our indefinite-lived intangible assets at least annually for impairment and reassess their classification as indefinite-lived assets. We assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that our indefinite-lived intangible assets are impaired. If we conclude that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired, we then determine the fair value of the intangible asset and perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value with the carrying value in accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other.
	2013 Reorganization
	Effective as of January 1, 2013, we reorganized our business from geographic regions to fully operationalized global business units. To determine the amount of goodwill within our new global reporting units, on a relative fair value basis we reallocated $1.764 billion of goodwill previously allocated to our former EMEA, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Americas international reporting units to our new global reporting units. In addition, we reallocated the goodwill previously allocated to the former U.S. divisional reporting units to each respective new global reporting unit, with the exception of the goodwill allocated to the former U.S. Cardiovascular reporting unit. The $2.380 billion of goodwill allocated to the former U.S. Cardiovascular reporting unit was reallocated between the new global Interventional Cardiology and global Peripheral Interventions reporting units on a relative fair value basis.
	The following represents our goodwill balance by new global reportable segment. We restated the prior period information to conform to the current presentation:
	(in millions)		Cardiovascular				Rhythm Management			MedSurg			Total
	Balance as of December 31, 2012		$	3,249			$	577		$	2,147		$	5,973
	Purchase price adjustments		3				—			—			3
	Goodwill acquired		—				140			—			140
	Goodwill written off		—				(423		)	—			(423		)
	Balance as of December 31, 2013		$	3,252			$	294		$	2,147		$	5,693
	Purchase price adjustments		(2		)		(4		)	(2		)	(8		)
	Goodwill acquired		169				—			44			213
	Goodwill written off		—				—			—			—
	Other changes in carrying amount*		7				$	—		(7		)	—
	Balance as of December 31, 2014		$	3,426			$	290		$	2,182		$	5,898
	*In 2014, we reallocated $7 million of goodwill between Cardiovascular and MedSurg as a result of the realignment of certain product lines from Endoscopy to Peripheral Interventions as of January 1, 2014.
	The 2014 and 2013 purchase price adjustments relate primarily to adjustments in taxes payable and deferred income taxes, including changes in the liability for unrecognized tax benefits.
	2014 Goodwill Impairment Testing
	We test our goodwill balances during the second quarter of each year for impairment, or more frequently if indicators are present or changes in circumstances suggest that impairment may exist.
	In the second quarter of 2014, we performed our annual goodwill impairment test for all of our reporting units, in accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other. In conjunction with our annual test, the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its carrying value. Therefore, it was deemed not necessary to proceed to the second step of the impairment test. As a result of the 2014 annual goodwill impairment test, we identified our global Neuromodulation and global Electrophysiology reporting units as being at higher risk of potential failure of the first step of the goodwill impairment test in future reporting periods. As of the date of our annual goodwill impairment test, our global Neuromodulation reporting unit had excess fair value over carrying value of approximately 55 percent and held $1.356 billion of allocated goodwill. As of the date of our annual goodwill impairment test, our global Electrophysiology reporting unit had excess fair value over carrying value of approximately 38 percent and held $292 million of allocated goodwill. During the fourth quarter of 2014, due to changes in our expectations of the timing and amount of future revenue and cash flow related to our Electrophysiology reporting unit, we performed an interim goodwill impairment test on this reporting unit. Based on this assessment, we concluded that the fair value of the Electrophysiology reporting unit exceeded its carrying value; however the level of excess fair value over the carrying value had declined to approximately 26 percent. As of our annual goodwill impairment test date, our global Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) reporting unit had a fair value approximately equal to its carrying value; however, due to goodwill impairment charges in prior years, no goodwill remains within our CRM reporting unit. Changes in our reporting units or in the structure of our business as a result of future reorganizations, acquisitions or divestitures of assets or businesses could result in future impairments of goodwill within our reporting units including global CRM. Further, the recoverability of our CRM-related amortizable intangibles ($4.097 billion globally as of December 31, 2014) is sensitive to future cash flow assumptions and our global CRM business performance. The $4.097 billion of CRM-related amortizable intangibles is at higher risk of potential failure of the first step of the amortizable intangible recoverability test in future reporting periods. An impairment of a material portion of our CRM-related amortizable intangibles carrying value would occur if the second step of the amortizable intangible test is required in a future reporting period.
	On a quarterly basis, we monitor the key drivers of fair value to detect events or other changes that would warrant an interim impairment test of our goodwill and intangible assets. The key variables that drive the cash flows of our reporting units and amortizable intangibles are estimated revenue growth rates and levels of profitability. Terminal value growth rate assumptions, as well as the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) rate applied are additional key variables for reporting unit cash flows. These assumptions are subject to uncertainty, including our ability to grow revenue and improve profitability levels. Relatively small declines in the future performance and cash flows of a reporting unit or asset group or small changes in other key assumptions may result in the recognition of significant goodwill or intangible asset impairment charges. For example, based on the interim goodwill assessment performed on our Electrophysiology reporting unit during the fourth quarter of 2014, keeping all other variables constant, an increase in the WACC applied of 50 basis points combined with a 100 basis point decrease in the terminal value growth rate would require that we perform the second step of the goodwill impairment test. As of the date of our annual goodwill impairment test, keeping all other variables constant, an increase in the WACC applied of 100 basis points combined with a 150 basis points decrease in the terminal value growth rate would require that we perform the second step of the goodwill impairment test for our global Neuromodulation reporting unit. The estimates used for our future cash flows and discount rates represent management's best estimates, which we believe to be reasonable, but future declines in business performance may impair the recoverability of our goodwill and intangible asset balances.
	Future events that could have a negative impact on the levels of excess fair value over carrying value of our reporting units and/or amortizable intangible assets include, but are not limited to:
	•	decreases in estimated market sizes or market growth rates due to greater-than-expected declines in procedural volumes, pricing pressures, reductions in reimbursement levels, product actions, and/or competitive technology developments;
	•	declines in our market share and penetration assumptions due to increased competition, an inability to develop or launch new and next-generation products and technology features in line with our commercialization strategies, product actions, and market and/or regulatory conditions that may cause significant launch delays or product recalls;
	•	decreases in our forecasted profitability due to an inability to successfully implement and achieve timely and sustainable cost improvement measures consistent with our expectations, increases in our market-participant tax rate, and/or changes in tax laws;
	•	negative developments in intellectual property litigation that may impact our ability to market certain products or increase our costs to sell certain products;
	•	the level of success of on-going and future research and development efforts, including those related to recent acquisitions, and increases in the research and development costs necessary to obtain regulatory approvals and launch new products;
	•	the level of success in managing the growth of acquired companies, achieving sustained profitability consistent with our expectations, establishing government and third-party payer reimbursement, supplying the market, and increases in the costs and time necessary to integrate acquired businesses into our operations successfully;
	•	changes in our reporting units or in the structure of our business as a result of future reorganizations, acquisitions or divestitures of assets or businesses; and
	•	increases in our market-participant risk-adjusted WACC.
	Negative changes in one or more of these factors, among others, could result in additional impairment charges.
	2013 Charges
	Following our reorganization from regions to global business units and our reallocation of goodwill on a relative fair value basis as of January 1, 2013, we conducted the first step of the goodwill impairment test for all global reporting units. As of January 1, 2013, the fair value of each global reporting unit exceeded its carrying value, with the exception of the global CRM reporting unit. We tested the global CRM intangible assets in conjunction with the second step of the goodwill test on the global CRM reporting unit, and recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $423 million ($421 million after-tax) to write down the goodwill to its implied fair value as of January 1, 2013 as a result of this analysis. The primary driver of this impairment charge was our reorganization from geographic regions to global business units as of January 1, 2013, which changed the composition of our reporting units. As a result of the reorganization, any goodwill allocated to the global CRM reporting unit was no longer supported by the cash flows of other businesses. Under our former reporting unit structure, the goodwill allocated to our regional reporting units was supported by the cash flows from all businesses in each international region. The hypothetical tax structure of the global CRM business and the global CRM business discount rate applied were also contributing factors to the goodwill impairment charge.
	2012 Charges
	In the second quarter of 2012, we performed our annual goodwill impairment test for all of our reporting units and concluded that the goodwill within our former EMEA reporting unit was impaired and recorded a charge of $3.602 billion ($3.579 billion after-tax). As a result of revised estimates developed during our annual strategic planning process and analysis performed in conjunction with our annual goodwill impairment test, we concluded that the revenue growth rates projected for the EMEA reporting unit were slightly lower than our previous estimates primarily driven by macro-economic factors and our performance in the European market. We updated short-term operating projections based on our most recent strategic plan for EMEA prepared by management. We reduced the EMEA long-term growth rates and terminal value growth rate projections and increased the discount rate within our 15-year DCF model for EMEA by approximately 100 basis points due to increased risk associated with our projections in this market primarily as a result of economic uncertainty in Europe. In addition, our expectations for future growth and profitability were lowered as compared to our previous estimates and reflected declines in average selling prices and volume pressures due to austerity measures.
	In the third quarter of 2012, we performed an interim goodwill impairment test and recorded a non-cash $748 million (pre- and after-tax) charge associated with our former U.S. Cardiac Rhythm Management (U.S. CRM) reporting unit, primarily driven by a reduction in the estimated size of the U.S. CRM market, related adjustments to our business and other competitive factors, which led to lower projected U.S. CRM results compared to prior forecasts. The U.S. CRM market is dynamic, highly competitive and difficult to forecast; in the third quarter of 2012, we lowered our projections for the U.S. CRM market size and our future revenue levels within this market, primarily to reflect changes in expectations of average selling prices and unit growth, adjustments to our business and other competitive factors. The increased pricing pressure and lower unit volumes were primarily due to physician alignment with hospitals, efforts to reduce health care costs, focus on appropriate device usage, replacement volumes and competition, and were more impactful to the U.S. CRM business than previously estimated. In addition, we adjusted certain elements of our business and shifted investments to focus on areas expected to provide the highest future growth and financial return. As a result of these factors, we reduced the compound annual revenue growth rate of our 15 year DCF model for the U.S. CRM reporting unit by approximately 250 basis points.
	The following is a rollforward of accumulated goodwill write-offs by global reportable segment:
	(in millions)		Cardiovascular				Rhythm Management			MedSurg			Total
	Accumulated write-offs as of December 31, 2012		$	(1,479	)		$	(6,537	)	$	(1,461	)	$	(9,477	)
	Goodwill written off		—				(423		)	—			(423		)
	Accumulated write-offs as of December 31, 2013		$	(1,479	)		$	(6,960	)	(1,461		)	$	(9,900	)
	Goodwill written off		—				—			—			—
	Accumulated write-offs as of December 31, 2014		$	(1,479	)		$	(6,960	)	$	(1,461	)	$	(9,900	)
	Intangible Asset Impairment Charges
	On a quarterly basis, we monitor for events or other potential indicators of impairment that would warrant an interim impairment test of our intangible assets. The recoverability of our CRM-related amortizable intangibles ($4.097 billion globally as of December 31, 2014) are sensitive to changes in future cash flow assumptions and our global CRM business performance. The $4.097 billion of CRM-related amortizable intangibles are at higher risk of potential failure of the first step of the amortizable intangible recoverability test in future reporting periods. An impairment of a material portion of our CRM-related amortizable intangibles carrying value would occur if the second step of the amortizable intangible test is required in a future reporting period. See Goodwill Impairment Charges above for discussion of future events that could have a negative impact on the levels of excess fair value over carrying value of our CRM-related amortizable intangible assets.
	2014 Charges
	During the fourth quarter of 2014, as a result of revised estimates in conjunction with our annual operating plan, we performed an interim impairment test of in-process research and development projects associated with certain of our acquisitions. Based on our impairment assessment, and lower expected future cash flows associated with our intangible assets, we recorded an impairment charge of $18 million to write-down the balances of these in-process projects to their fair value, which was determined to be zero.
	During the third quarter of 2014, we performed our annual impairment test of all in-process research and development projects, and our indefinite lived core technology assets. Based on the results of our annual test, we recorded total impairment charges of $4 million to write-down the balances of certain in-process projects to their fair value. In addition, as a result of revised estimates in conjunction with our annual operating plan, we performed an interim impairment test of core technology associated with certain of our acquisitions, and recorded an impairment charge of $8 million, for a total of $12 million of impairment charges in the third quarter of 2014.
During the second quarter of 2014, as a result of revised estimates developed in conjunction with our annual strategic planning process and annual goodwill impairment test, we performed an interim impairment test of our in-process research and development projects and core technology associated with certain of our acquisitions. Based on our impairment assessment, and lower expected future cash flows associated with our intangible assets, we recorded impairment charges of $110 million in the second quarter of 2014. As a result of changes in our clinical strategy and lower estimates of the European and global hypertension markets, and the resulting amount of future revenue and cash flows associated with the technology acquired from Vessix, we recorded impairment charges of $67 million related to technology intangible assets during the second quarter of 2014. In addition, in the second quarter of 2014, due to revised expectations and timing as a result of the announcement of a third FDA Circulatory System Devices Panel, we recorded impairment charges of $35 million related to the in-process research and development intangible assets acquired from Atritech, Inc. (Atritech). We also recorded an additional $8 million intangible asset impairment charge associated with changes in the amount of the expected cash flows related to certain other acquired in-process research and development projects.
During the first quarter of 2014, as a result of lower estimates of the resistant hypertension market following the announcement of data from a competitor's clinical trial, we performed an interim impairment test of our in-process research and development projects and core technology associated with our acquisition of Vessix. The impairment assessments were based upon probability-weighted cash flows of potential future scenarios. Based on our impairment assessment, and lower expected future cash flows associated with our Vessix-related intangible assets, we recorded impairment charges of $55 million in the first quarter of 2014 to write-down the balance of these intangible assets to their fair value.
2013 Charges
During the second quarter of 2013 as a result of revised estimates developed in conjunction with our annual strategic planning process and annual goodwill impairment test, we performed an interim impairment test of our in-process research and development projects associated with certain of our acquisitions. Based on the results of our impairment analyses, we revised our expectations of the market size related to Sadra Medical, Inc. (Sadra), and the resulting timing and amount of future revenue and cash flows associated with the technology acquired from Sadra. As a result of these changes, we recorded pre-tax impairment charges of $51 million to write-down the balance of these intangible assets to their fair value during the second quarter of 2013. During the second quarter of 2013, we also recorded an additional $2 million intangible asset impairment charge associated with changes in the amount of the expected cash flows related to certain other acquired in-process research and development projects.
2012 Charges
During the third quarter of 2012, we performed our annual impairment test of all in-process research and development projects, and our indefinite lived core technology assets. Based on the results of our annual test, we recorded total impairment charges of $13 million to write-down the balances of certain in-process projects to their fair value. These charges were primarily due to increased expectations in the cost to bring an in-process project to market in a certain geographic region and lower future revenue expectations associated with an in-process project.
During the second quarter of 2012, as a result of revised estimates developed in conjunction with our annual strategic planning process and annual goodwill impairment test, we performed an interim impairment test of our in-process research and development projects associated with our acquisition of Sadra. Based on our impairment analysis, we revised our expectations of the required effort, time and cost involved in completing the in-process projects and bringing the related products to market. As a result of these changes, we recorded an impairment charge of $129 million to write-down the balance of these intangible assets to their fair value during the second quarter of 2012.
We recorded these amounts in the intangible asset impairment charges caption in our accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
The nonrecurring Level 3 fair value measurements of our intangible asset impairment analysis included the following significant unobservable inputs:
Intangible Asset	Valuation Date	Fair Value	Valuation Technique	Unobservable Input	Rate
In-Process R&D	30-Sep-14	$16 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	16.5 - 20%
In-Process R&D	June 30, 2014	$83 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	16.5 - 20%
Core Technology	June 30, 2014	$8 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	15%
In-Process R&D	March 31, 2014	$6 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	20%
Core Technology	March 31, 2014	$64 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	15%
In-Process R&D	June 30, 2013	$178 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	16.50%
In-Process R&D	September 30, 2012	$26 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	20 - 25%
In-Process R&D	June 30, 2012	$184 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	20%
The intangible asset category and associated write downs recorded in 2014, 2013 and 2012 were as follows:
		Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)		2014				2013			2012
Technology-related		$	107			$	—		$	—
In-process research and development		88				53			142
		$	195			53			$	142
Estimated amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years based upon our intangible asset portfolio as of December 31, 2014 is as follows:
		Estimated Amortization Expense
Fiscal Year		(in millions)
2015		$	470
2016		469
2017		467
2018		464
2019		460

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
	Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
	We develop, manufacture and sell medical devices globally and our earnings and cash flows are exposed to market risk from changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. We address these risks through a risk management program that includes the use of derivative financial instruments, and operate the program pursuant to documented corporate risk management policies. We recognize all derivative financial instruments in our consolidated financial statements at fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging. In accordance with Topic 815, for those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the hedging instrument must be designated, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. The accounting for changes in the fair value (i.e. gains or losses) of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and, further, on the type of hedging relationship. Our derivative instruments do not subject our earnings or cash flows to material risk, as gains and losses on these derivatives generally offset losses and gains on the item being hedged. We do not enter into derivative transactions for speculative purposes and we do not have any non-derivative instruments that are designated as hedging instruments pursuant to Topic 815.
	Currency Hedging
	We are exposed to currency risk consisting primarily of foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities, forecasted foreign currency denominated intercompany and third-party transactions and net investments in certain subsidiaries. We manage our exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates on a consolidated basis to take advantage of offsetting transactions. We use both derivative instruments (currency forward and option contracts), and non-derivative transactions (primarily European manufacturing and distribution operations) to reduce the risk that our earnings and cash flows associated with these foreign currency denominated balances and transactions will be adversely affected by foreign currency exchange rate changes.
	Designated Foreign Currency Hedges
	All of our designated currency hedge contracts outstanding as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 were cash flow hedges under Topic 815 intended to protect the U.S. dollar value of our forecasted foreign currency denominated transactions. We record the effective portion of any change in the fair value of foreign currency cash flow hedges in other comprehensive income until the related third-party transaction occurs. Once the related third-party transaction occurs, we reclassify the effective portion of any related gain or loss on the foreign currency cash flow hedge to earnings. In the event the hedged forecasted transaction does not occur, or it becomes no longer probable that it will occur, we reclassify the amount of any gain or loss on the related cash flow hedge to earnings at that time. We had currency derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges outstanding in the contract amount of $2.178 billion as of December 31, 2014 and $2.564 billion as of December 31, 2013.
	We recognized net gains of $105 million during 2014 on our cash flow hedges, as compared to $36 million of net gains during 2013, and $39 million of net losses during 2012. All currency cash flow hedges outstanding as of December 31, 2014 mature within 36 months. As of December 31, 2014, $217 million of net gains, net of tax, were recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) to recognize the effective portion of the fair value of any currency derivative instruments that are, or previously were, designated as foreign currency cash flow hedges, as compared to net gains of $139 million as of December 31, 2013. As of December 31, 2014, $128 million of net gains, net of tax, may be reclassified to earnings within the next twelve months.
	The success of our hedging program depends, in part, on forecasts of transaction activity in various currencies (primarily Japanese yen, Euro, British pound sterling, Australian dollar and Canadian dollar). We may experience unanticipated currency exchange gains or losses to the extent that there are differences between forecasted and actual activity during periods of currency volatility. In addition, changes in foreign currency exchange rates related to any unhedged transactions may impact our earnings and cash flows.
	Non-designated Foreign Currency Contracts
	We use currency forward contracts as a part of our strategy to manage exposure related to foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities. These currency forward contracts are not designated as cash flow, fair value or net investment hedges under Topic 815; are marked-to-market with changes in fair value recorded to earnings; and are entered into for periods consistent with currency transaction exposures, generally less than one year. We had currency derivative instruments not designated as hedges under Topic 815 outstanding in the contract amount of $2.470 billion as of December 31, 2014 and $1.952 billion as of December 31, 2013.
	Interest Rate Hedging
	Our interest rate risk relates primarily to U.S. dollar borrowings, partially offset by U.S. dollar cash investments. We have historically used interest rate derivative instruments to manage our earnings and cash flow exposure to changes in interest rates by converting fixed-rate debt into floating-rate debt or floating-rate debt into fixed-rate debt.
	We designate these derivative instruments either as fair value or cash flow hedges under Topic 815. We record changes in the value of fair value hedges in interest expense, which is generally offset by changes in the fair value of the hedged debt obligation. Interest payments made or received related to our interest rate derivative instruments are included in interest expense. We record the effective portion of any change in the fair value of derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges as unrealized gains or losses in OCI, net of tax, until the hedged cash flow occurs, at which point the effective portion of any gain or loss is reclassified to earnings. We record the ineffective portion of our cash flow hedges in interest expense. In the event the hedged cash flow does not occur, or it becomes no longer probable that it will occur, we reclassify the amount of any gain or loss on the related cash flow hedge to interest expense at that time.
	In the fourth quarter of 2013, we entered into interest rate derivative contracts having a notional amount of $450 million to convert fixed-rate debt into floating-rate debt, which we designated as fair value hedges, and had $450 million outstanding as of December 31, 2014. We assessed at inception, and re-assess on an ongoing basis, whether the interest rate derivative contracts are highly effective in offsetting changes in the fair value of the hedged fixed rate debt. In 2014, we recognized in interest expense, a $29 million loss on our hedged debt obligations, compared to a $7 million gain on our hedged debt obligation in 2013. We also recognized, in interest expenses, a $29 million gain on the related interest rate derivative contracts during 2014, compared to an $8 million loss on these contracts during 2013. This resulted in net gain of less than $1 million recorded in earning due to ineffectiveness in 2014 and a net loss of $1 million recorded in earnings due to ineffectiveness in 2013.
	In prior years, we terminated certain interest rate derivative contracts, including fixed-to-floating interest rate contracts, designated as fair value hedges, and floating-to-fixed treasury locks designated as cash flow hedges. We began amortizing the gains and losses of these derivative instruments upon termination into earnings as a reduction of interest expense over the remaining term of the hedged debt, in accordance with Topic 815. The carrying amount of certain of our senior notes included unamortized gains of $45 million as of December 31, 2014 and $54 million as of December 31, 2013, and unamortized losses of $2 million as of December 31, 2014 and $2 million as of December 31, 2013, related to the fixed-to-floating interest rate contracts. In addition, we had pre-tax net gains within AOCI related to terminated floating-to-fixed treasury locks of $2 million as of December 31, 2014 and $3 million as of December 31, 2013. The gains that we recognized in earnings related to previously terminated interest rate derivatives were $9 million in 2014, $10 million in 2013, and $11 million in 2012. As of December 31, 2014, $9 million of net gains may be reclassified to earnings within the next twelve months from amortization of our previously terminated interest rate derivative contracts.
	Counterparty Credit Risk
	We do not have significant concentrations of credit risk arising from our derivative financial instruments, whether from an individual counterparty or a related group of counterparties. We manage our concentration of counterparty credit risk on our derivative instruments by limiting acceptable counterparties to a diversified group of major financial institutions with investment grade credit ratings, limiting the amount of credit exposure to each counterparty, and by actively monitoring their credit ratings and outstanding fair values on an on-going basis. Furthermore, none of our derivative transactions are subject to collateral or other security arrangements and none contain provisions that are dependent on our credit ratings from any credit rating agency.
	We also employ master netting arrangements that reduce our counterparty payment settlement risk on any given maturity date to the net amount of any receipts or payments due between us and the counterparty financial institution. Thus, the maximum loss due to credit risk by counterparty is limited to the unrealized gains in such contracts net of any unrealized losses should any of these counterparties fail to perform as contracted. Although these protections do not eliminate concentrations of credit risk, as a result of the above considerations, we do not consider the risk of counterparty default to be significant.
	Fair Value of Derivative Instruments
	The following presents the effect of our derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges under Topic 815 on our accompanying consolidated statements of operations during 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in millions):
		Amount of Pre-tax				Amount of Pre-tax				Location in Statement of
		Gain (Loss)				Gain (Loss)				Operations
		Recognized in OCI				Reclassified from
		(Effective Portion)				AOCI into Earnings
						(Effective Portion)
	Year Ended December 31, 2014
	Interest rate contracts	$	—			$	1			Interest expense
	Currency hedge contracts	227				105				Cost of products sold
		$	227			$	106
	Year Ended December 31, 2013
	Interest rate contracts	$	—			$	1			Interest expense
	Currency hedge contracts	207				36				Cost of products sold
		$	207			$	37
	Year Ended December 31, 2012
	Interest rate contracts	$	—			$	2			Interest expense
	Currency hedge contracts	95				(39		)		Cost of products sold
		$	95			$	(37	)
	We recognized a gain of less than $1 million in 2014, a loss of $1 million in 2013 and a de minimus amount in 2012 in earnings, related to the ineffective portion of our hedging relationships.
	Net gains and losses on currency hedge contracts not designated as hedging instruments were offset by net losses and gains from foreign currency transaction exposures, as shown in the following table:
	in millions														Location in Statement of
			Year Ended December 31,												Operations
			2014				2013				2012
	Gain (loss) on currency hedge contracts		$	52			$	45			$	23			Other, net
	Gain (loss) on foreign currency transaction exposures		(70		)		(56		)		(41		)		Other, net
	Net foreign currency gain (loss)		$	(18	)		$	(11	)		$	(18	)
	Topic 815 requires all derivative instruments to be recognized at their fair values as either assets or liabilities on the balance sheet. We determine the fair value of our derivative instruments using the framework prescribed by ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, by considering the estimated amount we would receive or pay to transfer these instruments at the reporting date and by taking into account current interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, the creditworthiness of the counterparty for assets, and our creditworthiness for liabilities. In certain instances, we may utilize financial models to measure fair value. In doing so, we use inputs that include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; other observable inputs for the asset or liability; and inputs derived principally from, or corroborated by, observable market data by correlation or other means. As of December 31, 2014, we have classified all of our derivative assets and liabilities within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy prescribed by Topic 820, as discussed below, because these observable inputs are available for substantially the full term of our derivative instruments.
	The following are the balances of our derivative assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013:
			As of
			December 31,				December 31,
	(in millions)	Location in Balance Sheet (1)	2014				2013
	Derivative Assets:
	Designated Hedging Instruments
	Currency hedge contracts	Other current assets	$	178			$	117
	Currency hedge contracts	Other long-term assets	141				120
	Interest rate contracts	Other current assets	3				1
	Interest rate contracts	Other long-term assets	22				—
			344				238
	Non-Designated Hedging Instruments
	Currency hedge contracts	Other current assets	100				27
	Total Derivative Assets		$	444			$	265
	Derivative Liabilities:
	Designated Hedging Instruments
	Currency hedge contracts	Other current liabilities	$	1			$	13
Currency hedge contracts	Other long-term liabilities	—				19
Interest rate contracts	Other long-term liabilities	—				8
		1				40
Non-Designated Hedging Instruments
Currency hedge contracts	Other current liabilities	35				23
Total Derivative Liabilities		$	36			$	63
-1	We classify derivative assets and liabilities as current when the remaining term of the derivative contract is one year or less.
Other Fair Value Measurements
Recurring Fair Value Measurements
On a recurring basis, we measure certain financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value based upon quoted market prices, where available. Where quoted market prices or other observable inputs are not available, we apply valuation techniques to estimate fair value. Topic 820 establishes a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The categorization of financial assets and financial liabilities within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the measurement of fair value. The three levels of the hierarchy are defined as follows:
•	Level 1 – Inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted market prices for identical assets or liabilities.
•	Level 2 – Inputs to the valuation methodology are other observable inputs, including quoted market prices for similar assets or liabilities and market-corroborated inputs.
•	Level 3 – Inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable inputs based on management’s best estimate of inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date, including assumptions about risk.
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis consist of the following as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013:
	As of December 31, 2014														As of December 31, 2013
(in millions)	Level 1				Level 2				Level 3				Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets
Money market and government funds	$	151			$	—			$	—			$	151	$	38	$	—	$	—	$	38
Currency hedge contracts	—				419				—				419		—		264		—		264
Interest rate contracts	—				25				—				25		—		1		—		1
	$	151			$	444			$	—			$	595	$	38	$	265	$	—	$	303
Liabilities
Currency hedge contracts	$	—			$	36			$	—			$	36	$	—	$	55	$	—	$	55
Accrued contingent consideration	—				—				274				274		—		—		501		501
Interest rate contracts	—				—				—				—		—		8		—		8
	$	—			$	36			$	274			$	310	$	—	$	63	$	501	$	564
Our investments in money market and government funds are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices. These investments are classified as cash and cash equivalents within our accompanying consolidated balance sheets, in accordance with U.S. GAAP and our accounting policies.
In addition to $151 million invested in money market and government funds as of December 31, 2014, we had $255 million in short-term time deposits and $181 million in interest bearing and non-interest bearing bank accounts. In addition to $38 million invested in money market and government funds as of December 31, 2013, we had $31 million in short-term time deposits and $148 million in interest bearing and non-interest bearing bank accounts.
Our recurring fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) relate solely to our contingent consideration liability. Refer to Note B - Acquisitions for a discussion of the changes in the fair value of our contingent consideration liability.
Non-Recurring Fair Value Measurements
We hold certain assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis in periods subsequent to initial recognition. The fair value of a cost method investment is not estimated if there are no identified events or changes in circumstances that may have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. The aggregate carrying amount of our cost method investments was $27 million as of December 31, 2014 and $20 million as of December 31, 2013.
During 2014 and 2013, we recorded charges of $195 million and $476 million, respectively, to adjust our goodwill and certain other intangible asset balances to their fair value. Refer to Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, for further detailed information related to these charges and significant unobservable inputs.
The fair value of our outstanding debt obligations was $4.613 billion as of December 31, 2014 and $4.602 billion as of December 31, 2013, which was determined by using quoted market prices for our publicly-registered senior notes, classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy. Refer to Note F – Borrowings and Credit Arrangements for a discussion of our debt obligations.

Borrowings_and_Credit_Arrangem

Borrowings and Credit Arrangements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements [Abstract]
BORROWINGS AND CREDIT ARRANGEMENTS	BORROWINGS AND CREDIT ARRANGEMENTS
	We had total debt of $4.262 billion as of December 31, 2014 and $4.240 billion as of December 31, 2013. The debt maturity schedule for the significant components of our debt obligations as of December 31, 2014 is as follows:
	(in millions)	2015			2016			2017		2018		2019		Thereafter		Total
	Senior notes	$	400		$	600		$	250	$	600	$	—	$	1,950	$	3,800
	Term loan	—			80			80		240		—		—		400
		$	400		$	680		$	330	$	840	$	—	$	1,950	$	4,200
		Note:		The table above does not include unamortized discounts associated with our senior notes, or amounts related to interest rate contracts used to hedge the fair value of certain of our senior notes.
	Revolving Credit Facility
	We maintain a $2.000 billion revolving credit facility, maturing in April 2017, with a global syndicate of commercial banks. Eurodollar and multicurrency loans under this revolving credit facility bear interest at LIBOR plus an interest margin of between 0.875 percent and 1.475 percent, based on our corporate credit ratings and consolidated leverage ratio (1.275 percent, as of December 31, 2014). In addition, we are required to pay a facility fee based on our credit ratings, consolidated leverage ratio, and the total amount of revolving credit commitments, regardless of usage, under the agreement (0.225 percent, as of December 31, 2014). There were no amounts borrowed under our revolving credit facility as of December 31, 2014 or December 31, 2013.
	Our revolving credit facility agreement in place as of December 31, 2014 requires that we maintain certain financial covenants, as follows:
		Covenant		Actual as of December 31, 2014
		Requirement
	Maximum leverage ratio (1)	3.5 times		2.4 times
	Minimum interest coverage ratio (2)	3.0 times		8.2 times
	-1	Ratio of total debt to consolidated EBITDA, as defined by the credit agreement, for the preceding four consecutive fiscal quarters.
	-2	Ratio of consolidated EBITDA, as defined by the credit agreement, to interest expense for the preceding four consecutive fiscal quarters.
	The credit agreement provides for an exclusion from the calculation of consolidated EBITDA, as defined by the agreement, through the credit agreement maturity, of any non-cash charges and up to $500 million in restructuring charges and restructuring-related expenses related to our current or future restructuring plans. As of December 31, 2014, we had $116 million of the restructuring charge exclusion remaining. In addition, any cash litigation payments (net of any cash litigation receipts), as defined by the agreement, are excluded from the calculation of consolidated EBITDA and any new debt issued to fund any tax deficiency payments is excluded from consolidated total debt, as defined in the agreement, provided that the sum of any excluded net cash litigation payments and any new debt issued to fund any tax deficiency payments shall not exceed $2.300 billion in the aggregate. As of December 31, 2014, we had approximately $2.107 billion of the combined legal and debt exclusion remaining. As of and through December 31, 2014, we were in compliance with the required covenants.
	Any inability to maintain compliance with these covenants could require us to seek to renegotiate the terms of our credit facility or seek waivers from compliance with these covenants, both of which could result in additional borrowing costs. Further, there can be no assurance that our lenders would agree to such new terms or grant such waivers.
	Term Loan
	In August 2013, we entered into a $400 million, unsecured term loan facility. Term loan borrowings under this facility bear interest at LIBOR plus an interest margin of between 1.0 percent and 1.75 percent (currently 1.5 percent), based on our corporate credit ratings and consolidated leverage ratio. The term loan borrowings are payable over a five-year period, with quarterly principal payments of $20 million commencing in the first quarter of 2016 and the remaining principal amount due at the final maturity date in August 2018, and are repayable at any time without premium or penalty. Our term loan facility requires that we comply with certain covenants, including financial covenants with respect to maximum leverage and minimum interest coverage; the maximum leverage ratio requirement is 3.5 times, our actual leverage ratio as of December 31, 2014 is 2.4 times and the minimum interest coverage ratio requirement is 3.0 times, our actual interest coverage ratio as of December 31, 2014 is 8.2 times. We had $400 million outstanding under this facility as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.
	Senior Notes
	We had senior notes outstanding of $3.800 billion as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively. In August 2013, we issued $600 million of 2.650% senior notes due in 2018, and $450 million of 4.125% senior notes due in 2023. In September 2013, we used the proceeds, together with borrowings under our new $400 million term loan facility, to prepay $600 million of senior notes maturing in June 2014 and $850 million maturing in January 2015. We recorded a charge in the interest expense caption of our consolidated statements of operations of $70 million for premiums, accelerated amortization of debt issuance costs and investor discount costs net of accelerated amortization of interest rate hedge gains related to the early debt extinguishment. Our senior notes are publicly registered securities, are redeemable prior to maturity and are not subject to any sinking fund requirements. Our senior notes are unsecured, unsubordinated obligations and rank on parity with each other. These notes are effectively junior to borrowings under our credit and security facility and liabilities of our subsidiaries (see Other Arrangements below).
	Our senior notes consist of the following as of December 31, 2014:
		Amount			Issuance		Maturity Date	Semi-annual
		(in millions)			Date			Coupon Rate
	November 2015 Notes	$	400		Nov-05		Nov-15	5.50%
	June 2016 Notes	600			Jun-06		Jun-16	6.40%
	January 2017 Notes	250			Nov-04		Jan-17	5.13%
	October 2018 Notes	600			Aug-13		Oct-18	2.65%
	January 2020 Notes	850			Dec-09		Jan-20	6.00%
	October 2023 Notes	450			Aug-13		Oct-23	4.13%
	November 2035 Notes	350			Nov-05		Nov-35	6.25%
	January 2040 Notes	300			Dec-09		Jan-40	7.38%
		$	3,800
	Our $2.2 billion of senior notes issued in 2009 and 2013 contain a change-in-control provision, which provides that each holder of the senior notes may require us to repurchase all or a portion of the notes at a price equal to 101 percent of the aggregate repurchased principal, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if a rating event, as defined in the indenture, occurs as a result of a change-in-control, as defined in the indenture. Any other credit rating changes may impact our borrowing cost, but do not require us to repay any borrowings.
	The interest rate payable on our November 2015 Notes is currently 6.25 percent and the interest rate payable on our November 2035 Notes is currently 7.00 percent. Corporate credit rating improvements may result in a decrease in the adjusted interest rate on our November 2015 and November 2035 Notes to the extent that our lowest credit rating is above BBB- or Baa3. The interest rates on our November 2015 and November 2035 Notes will be permanently reinstated to the issuance rate if the lowest credit ratings assigned to these senior notes is either A- or A3 or higher.
	Other Arrangements
	We also maintain a $300 million credit and security facility secured by our U.S. trade receivables maturing in June 2015, subject to further extension. The credit and security facility requires that we maintain a maximum leverage covenant consistent with our revolving credit facility. The maximum leverage ratio requirement is 3.5 times and our actual leverage ratio as of December 31, 2014 is 2.4 times. We had no borrowings outstanding under this facility as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.
	We have accounts receivable factoring programs in certain European countries that we account for as sales under ASC Topic 860, Transfers and Servicing. These agreements provide for the sale of accounts receivable to third parties, without recourse, of up to approximately $363 million as of December 31, 2014. We have no retained interests in the transferred receivables, other than collection and administrative responsibilities and, once sold, the accounts receivable are no longer available to satisfy creditors in the event of bankruptcy. We de-recognized $167 million of receivables as of December 31, 2014 at an average interest rate of 3.2 percent, and $146 million as of December 31, 2013 at an average interest rate of 3.3 percent.
	In addition, we have uncommitted credit facilities with a commercial Japanese bank that provide for borrowings, promissory notes discounting and receivables factoring of up to 21.0 billion Japanese yen (approximately $175 million as of December 31, 2014). We de-recognized $134 million of notes receivable as of December 31, 2014 at an average interest rate of 1.8 percent and $147 million of notes receivable as of December 31, 2013 at an average interest rate of 1.8 percent. De-recognized accounts and notes receivable are excluded from trade accounts receivable, net in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
	As of December 31, 2014, we had outstanding letters of credit of $59 million, as compared to $78 million as of December 31, 2013, which consisted primarily of bank guarantees and collateral for workers' compensation insurance arrangements. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, none of the beneficiaries had drawn upon the letters of credit or guarantees; accordingly, we have not recognized a related liability for our outstanding letters of credit in our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2014 or 2013. We believe we will generate sufficient cash from operations to fund these payments and intend to fund these payments without drawing on the letters of credit.

Leases

Leases	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Leases [Abstract]
Leases of Lessee Disclosure [Text Block]	LEASES
	Rent expense amounted to $76 million in 2014, $77 million in 2013 and $80 million in 2012.
	Future minimum rental commitments as of December 31, 2014 under all noncancelable lease agreements, including capital leases, were as follows (in millions):
	2015	$	59
	2016	51
	2017	34
	2018	25
	2019	21
	Thereafter	28
		$	218

Restructuring_Related_Activiti

Restructuring Related Activities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring Charges [Abstract]
Restructuring and Related Activities Disclosure [Text Block]	RESTRUCTURING-RELATED ACTIVITIES
	On an on-going basis, we monitor the dynamics of the economy, the healthcare industry, and the markets in which we compete; and we continue to assess opportunities for improved operational effectiveness and efficiency, and better alignment of expenses with revenues, while preserving our ability to make the investments in research and development projects, capital, our people and other programs that we believe are important to drive our growth. As a result of these assessments, we have undertaken various restructuring initiatives in order to enhance our growth potential and position us for long-term success. These initiatives are described below.
	2014 Restructuring Plan
	On October 22, 2013, our Board of Directors approved, and we committed to, a restructuring initiative (the 2014 Restructuring plan). The 2014 Restructuring plan is intended to build on the progress we have made to address financial pressures in a changing global marketplace, further strengthen our operational effectiveness and efficiency and support new growth investments. Key activities under the plan include continued implementation of our ongoing Plant Network Optimization (PNO) strategy, continued focus on driving operational efficiencies and ongoing business and commercial model changes. The PNO strategy is intended to simplify our manufacturing plant structure by transferring certain production lines among facilities. Other activities involve rationalizing organizational reporting structures to streamline various functions, eliminate bureaucracy, increase productivity and better align resources to business strategies and marketplace dynamics. These activities were initiated in the fourth quarter of 2013 and are expected to be substantially completed by the end of 2015.
	We estimate that the implementation of the 2014 Restructuring plan will result in total pre-tax charges of approximately $250 million to $300 million, and approximately $235 million to $285 million of these charges are expected to result in future cash outlays, of which we have made payments of $93 million to date. We have recorded related costs of $142 million since the inception of the plan, and are recording a portion of these expenses as restructuring charges and the remaining portion through other lines within our consolidated statement of operations. The following table provides a summary of our estimates of costs associated with the 2014 Restructuring plan by major type of cost:
	Type of cost	Total estimated amount expected to
		be incurred
	Restructuring charges:
	Termination benefits	$115 million to $135 million
	Other (1)	$25 million to $35 million
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Other (2)	$110 million to $130 million
		$250 million to $300 million
	(1) Consists primarily of consultant fees and costs associated with contractual cancellations.
	(2) Comprised of other costs directly related to the 2014 Restructuring plan, including program management, accelerated depreciation, and costs to transfer product lines among facilities.
	2011 Restructuring Plan
	On July 26, 2011, our Board of Directors approved, and we committed to, a restructuring initiative (the 2011 Restructuring plan) designed to strengthen operational effectiveness and efficiencies, increase competitiveness and support new investments, thereby increasing shareholder value. Key activities under the 2011 Restructuring plan included standardizing and automating certain processes and activities; relocating select administrative and functional activities; rationalizing organizational reporting structures; leveraging preferred vendors; and other efforts to eliminate inefficiency. Among these efforts, we expanded our ability to deliver best-in-class global shared services for certain functions and divisions at several locations in emerging markets. This action was intended to enable us to grow our global commercial presence in key geographies and take advantage of many cost-reducing and productivity-enhancing opportunities. In addition, we undertook efforts to streamline various corporate functions, eliminate bureaucracy, increase productivity and better align corporate resources to our key business strategies. On January 25, 2013, our Board of Directors approved, and we committed to, an expansion of the 2011 Restructuring plan (the Expansion). The Expansion was intended to further strengthen our operational effectiveness and efficiencies and support new investments. Activities under the 2011 Restructuring plan were initiated in the third quarter of 2011 and all activities, including those related to the Expansion, were substantially completed by the end of 2013.
	The 2011 Restructuring plan, including the Expansion, is estimated to result in total pre-tax charges of approximately $289 million to $292 million, and approximately $287 million to $291 million of these charges are expected to result in cash outlays, of which we have made payments of $287 million to date. We have recorded related costs of $289 million since the inception of the plan, and recorded a portion of these expenses as restructuring charges and the remaining portion through other lines within our consolidated statements of operations.
	The following provides a summary of our expected total costs associated with the 2011 Restructuring plan, including the Expansion, by major type of cost:
	Type of cost	Total estimated amount expected to
		be incurred
	Restructuring charges:
	Termination benefits	$138 million to $141 million
	Other (1)	$112 million
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Other (2)	$39 million
		$289 million to $292 million
	-1	Includes primarily consulting fees, net fixed asset write-offs and costs associated with contractual cancellations.
	-2	Comprised of other costs directly related to the 2011 Restructuring plan, including the Expansion, such as program management, accelerated depreciation, retention and infrastructure-related costs.
	2010 Restructuring Plan
	On February 6, 2010, our Board of Directors approved, and we committed to, a series of management changes and restructuring initiatives (the 2010 Restructuring plan) designed to focus our business, drive innovation, accelerate profitable revenue growth and increase both accountability and shareholder value. Key activities under the plan included the restructuring of certain of our businesses and corporate functions; the re-alignment of our international structure to reduce our administrative costs and invest in expansion opportunities including significant investments in emerging markets; and the re-prioritization and diversification of our product portfolio. Activities under the 2010 Restructuring plan were initiated in the first quarter of 2010 and were complete by the end of 2012.
	The execution of the 2010 Restructuring plan resulted in total pre-tax charges of $160 million, and required cash outlays of $145 million. We have recorded a portion of these expenses as restructuring charges and the remaining portion through other lines within our consolidated statements of operations.
	The following provides a summary of our costs associated with the 2010 Restructuring plan by major type of cost:
	Type of Cost	Total amount incurred
	Restructuring charges:
	Termination benefits	$90 million
	Fixed asset write-offs	$11 million
	Other (1)	$51 million
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Other (2)	$8 million
		$160 million
	-1	Includes primarily consulting fees and costs associated with contractual cancellations.
	-2	Comprised of other costs directly related to the 2010 Restructuring plan, including accelerated depreciation and infrastructure-related costs.
	Plant Network Optimization (PNO) Program
	In January 2009, our Board of Directors approved, and we committed to, a PNO program, intended to simplify our manufacturing plant structure by transferring certain production lines among facilities and by closing certain other facilities. The program was intended to improve our overall gross profit margins. Activities under the PNO program were initiated in the first quarter of 2009 and were substantially completed during 2012.
	The Plant Network Optimization program resulted in total pre-tax charges of $126 million, and resulted in cash outlays of $103 million. We have recorded a portion of these expenses as restructuring charges and the remaining portion through cost of products sold within our consolidated statements of operations.
	The following provides a summary of our costs associated with the Plant Network Optimization program by major type of cost:
	Type of cost	Total amount incurred
	Restructuring charges:
	Termination benefits	$30 million
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Accelerated depreciation	$22 million
	Transfer costs (1)	$74 million
		$126 million
	-1	Consists primarily of costs to transfer product lines among facilities, including costs of transfer teams, freight, idle facility and product line validations.
	In aggregate, we recorded restructuring charges pursuant to our restructuring plans of $69 million during 2014, $101 million during 2013, and $136 million during 2012. In addition, we recorded expenses within other lines of our accompanying consolidated statements of operations related to our restructuring initiatives of $48 million during 2014, $23 million during 2013, and $24 million during 2012.
	The following presents these costs by major type and line item within our accompanying consolidated statements of operations, as well as by program:
	Year Ended December 31, 2014
	(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Other				Total
		Benefits				Depreciation				Costs
	Restructuring charges	$	42			$	—			$	—			$	27			$	69
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Cost of products sold	—				—				24				—				24
	Selling, general and administrative expenses	—				5				—				19				24
	—				5				24				19				48
	$	42			$	5			$	24			$	46			$	117
(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Other				Total
	Benefits				Depreciation				Costs
2014 Restructuring plan	$	41			$	5			24				$	43			$	113
2011 Restructuring plan	1				—				—				3				4
2010 Restructuring plan	—				—				—				—				—
Plant Network Optimization program	—				—				—				—				—
	$	42			$	5			$	24			$	46			$	117
Year Ended December 31, 2013
(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Net Gain on Fixed Asset Disposal				Other				Total
	Benefits				Depreciation				Costs
Restructuring charges	$	60			$	—			$	—			$	(15	)		$	56			$	101
Restructuring-related expenses:
Selling, general and administrative expenses	—				3				—				—				20				23
	—				3				—				—				20				23
	$	60			$	3			$	—			$	(15	)		$	76			$	124
(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Net Gain on Fixed Asset Disposal				Other				Total
	Benefits				Depreciation				Costs
2014 Restructuring plan	$	29			$	—			$	—			$	—			$	1			$	30
2011 Restructuring plan	37				3				—				(15		)		75				100
2010 Restructuring plan	—				—				—				—				—				—
Plant Network Optimization program	(6		)		—				—				—				—				(6		)
	$	60			$	3			$	—			$	(15	)		$	76			$	124
Year Ended December 31, 2012
(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Fixed Asset				Other				Total
	Benefits				Depreciation				Costs				Write-offs
Restructuring charges	$	79			$	—			$	—			$	14			$	43			$	136
Restructuring-related expenses:
Cost of products sold	—				—				8				—				—				8
Selling, general and administrative expenses	—				2				—				—				14				16
	—				2				8				—				14				24
	$	79			$	2			$	8			$	14			$	57			$	160
(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Fixed Asset				Other				Total
	Benefits				Depreciation				Costs				Write-offs
2011 Restructuring plan	$	78			$	2			$	—			$	14			$	55			$	149
2010 Restructuring plan	1				—				—				—				2				3
Plant Network Optimization program	—				—				8				—				—				8
	$	79			$	2			$	8			$	14			$	57			$	160
Termination benefits represent amounts incurred pursuant to our on-going benefit arrangements and amounts for “one-time” involuntary termination benefits, and have been recorded in accordance with ASC Topic 712, Compensation – Non-retirement Postemployment Benefits and ASC Topic 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations (Topic 420). We expect to record additional termination benefits related to our restructuring initiatives in 2015 when we identify with more specificity the job classifications, functions and locations of the remaining headcount to be eliminated. Other restructuring costs, which represent primarily consulting fees, are being recorded as incurred in accordance with Topic 420. Accelerated depreciation is being recorded over the adjusted remaining useful life of the related assets, and production line transfer costs are being recorded as incurred.
We have incurred cumulative restructuring charges related to our 2014 Restructuring plan, 2011 Restructuring plan, 2010 Restructuring plan and Plant Network Optimization program of $526 million and restructuring-related costs of $191 million since we committed to each plan. The following presents these costs by major type and by plan:
(in millions)	2014 Restructuring				2011				2010				Plant				Total
	plan				Restructuring				Restructuring				Network
					plan				plan				Optimization
Termination benefits	$	69			$	138			$	90			$	30			$	327
Fixed asset write-offs	—				(1		)		11				—				10
Other	25				113				51				—				189
Total restructuring charges	94				250				152				30				526
Accelerated depreciation	5				5				—				22				32
Transfer costs	24				—				—				74				98
Other	19				34				8				—				61
Restructuring-related expenses	48				39				8				96				191
	$	142			$	289			$	160			$	126			$	717
We made cash payments of $112 million in 2014 associated with restructuring initiatives pursuant to these plans, and have made total cash payments of $628 million related to our 2014 Restructuring plan, 2011 Restructuring plan, 2010 Restructuring plan and Plant Network Optimization program since committing to each plan. Each of these payments was made using cash generated from operations, and are comprised of the following:
(in millions)	2014 Restructuring				2011				2010				Plant				Total
	plan				Restructuring				Restructuring				Network
					plan				plan				Optimization
Year Ended December 31, 2014
Termination benefits	$	31			$	9			$	—			$	—			$	40
Transfer costs	24				—				—				—				24
Other	38				10				—				—				48
	$	93			$	19			$	—			$	—			$	112
Program to Date
Termination benefits	31				$	133			$	90			$	30			$	284
Transfer costs	24				—				—				73				97
Other	38				154				55				—				247
	$	93			$	287			$	145			$	103			$	628
Our restructuring liability is primarily comprised of accruals for termination benefits. The following is a rollforward of the termination benefit liability associated with our 2014 Restructuring plan, 2011 Restructuring plan, 2010 Restructuring plan and Plant Network Optimization program, since the inception of the respective plan, which is reported as a component of accrued expenses included in our accompanying consolidated balance sheets:
		Restructuring Plan Termination Benefits
														Plant
														Network
(in millions)		2014				2011				2010				Optimization				Total
Accrued as of December 31, 2011		$	—			$	18			$	6			$	33			$	57
Charges		—				78				1				—				79
Cash payments		—				(60		)		(4		)		(24		)		(88		)
Accrued as of December 31, 2012		—				36				3				9				48
Charges		29				37				—				(6		)		60
Cash payments		—				(61		)		—				(1		)		(62		)
Other		—				—				(3		)		(2		)		(5		)
Accrued as of December 31, 2013		29				12				—				—				41
Charges		41				1				—				—				42
Cash payments		(31		)		(9		)		—				—				(40		)
Accrued as of December 31, 2014		$	39			$	4			$	—			$	—			$	43
In addition to our accrual for termination benefits, we had a $6 million liability as of December 31, 2014 and a $8 million liability as of December 31, 2013 for other restructuring-related items.

Supplemental_Balance_Sheet_Inf

Supplemental Balance Sheet Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Supplemental Balance Sheet Information [Abstract]
SUPPLEMENTAL BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION	SUPPLEMENTAL BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION
	Components of selected captions in our accompanying consolidated balance sheets are as follows:
	Trade accounts receivable, net
		As of
	(in millions)	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Accounts receivable	$	1,288		$	1,419
	Less: allowance for doubtful accounts	(76		)	(81		)
	Less: allowance for sales returns	(29		)	(31		)
		$	1,183		$	1,307
	The following is a rollforward of our allowance for doubtful accounts for 2014, 2013 and 2012:
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
	Beginning balance	$	81		$	88		$	81
	Net charges to expenses	10			5			14
	Utilization of allowances	(15		)	(12		)	(7		)
	Ending balance	$	76		$	81		$	88
	Inventories
		As of
	(in millions)	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Finished goods	$	649		$	598
	Work-in-process	97			90
	Raw materials	200			209
		$	946		$	897
	Property, plant and equipment, net
		As of
	(in millions)	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Land	$	80		$	81
	Buildings and improvements	944			917
	Equipment, furniture and fixtures	2,633			2,461
	Capital in progress	189			211
		3,846			3,670
	Less: accumulated depreciation	2,339			2,124
		$	1,507		$	1,546
	Accrued expenses
		As of
	(in millions)	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Legal reserves	$	694		$	84
	Payroll and related liabilities	512			488
	Accrued contingent consideration	158			148
	Other	586			628
		$	1,950		$	1,348
	Other long-term liabilities
		As of
	(in millions)	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Accrued income taxes	$	1,231		$	1,283
	Legal reserves	883			523
	Accrued contingent consideration	116			353
	Other long-term liabilities	436			410
		$	2,666		$	2,569

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Taxes [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES
	Our income (loss) before income taxes consisted of the following:
			Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)		2014			2013			2012
	Domestic		$	(1,263	)	$	(774	)	$	(1,265	)
	Foreign		754			551			(2,842		)
			$	(509	)	$	(223	)	$	(4,107	)
	The related benefit for income taxes consisted of the following:
			Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)		2014			2013			2012
	Current
	Federal		$	(2	)	$	46		$	33
	State		(5		)	(9		)	—
	Foreign		111			105			139
			104			142			172
	Deferred
	Federal		(458		)	(212		)	(204		)
	State		(23		)	(17		)	(7		)
	Foreign		(13		)	(15		)	—
			(494		)	(244		)	(211		)
			$	(390	)	$	(102	)	$	(39	)
	The reconciliation of income taxes at the federal statutory rate to the actual benefit for income taxes is as follows:
			Year Ended December 31,
			2014		2013		2012
	U.S. federal statutory income tax rate		(35.0	)%	(35.0	)%	(35.0	)%
	State income taxes, net of federal benefit		(6.5	)%	(7.9	)%	(0.2	)%
	Effect of foreign taxes		(29.1	)%	(63.4	)%	(3.7	)%
	Acquisition-related		(7.5	)%	3.5	%	—	%
	Research credit		(7.0	)%	(12.2	)%	—	%
	Valuation allowance		4	%	(12.0	)%	0.3	%
	Goodwill impairment charges		—	%	65.2	%	36.4	%
	Compensation-related		0.7	%	1.7	%	0.3	%
	Non-deductible expenses		1.9	%	9	%	(0.2	)%
	Uncertain domestic tax positions		2	%	7	%	0.8	%
	Other, net		(0.2	)%	(1.9	)%	0.3	%
			(76.7	)%	(46.0	)%	(1.0	)%
	We had net deferred tax liabilities of $799 million as of December 31, 2014 and $1.140 billion as of December 31, 2013. Gross deferred tax liabilities of $2.096 billion as of December 31, 2014 and $2.203 billion as of December 31, 2013 relate primarily to intangible assets acquired in connection with our prior acquisitions. Gross deferred tax assets of $1.297 billion as of December 31, 2014 and $1.063 billion as of December 31, 2013 relate primarily to the establishment of inventory and product-related reserves; litigation, product liability and other reserves and accruals; compensation related accruals; net operating loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards; and the federal benefit of uncertain tax positions.
	We reduce our deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if, based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that we will not realize some portion or all of the deferred tax assets. We consider relevant evidence, both positive and negative, to determine the need for a valuation allowance. Information evaluated includes our financial position and results of operations for the current and preceding years, the availability of deferred tax liabilities and tax carrybacks, as well as an evaluation of currently available information about future years.
	Significant components of our deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:
			As of December 31,
	(in millions)		2014				2013
							(restated)
	Deferred Tax Assets:
	Inventory costs and related reserves		$	46			$	50
	Tax benefit of net operating loss and credits		525				647
	Reserves and accruals		232				221
	Restructuring-related charges and purchased research and development		20				17
	Litigation and product liability reserves		556				198
	Investment write-down		4				15
	Compensation related		150				143
	Federal benefit of uncertain tax positions		178				166
	Other		36				39
			1,747				1,496
	Less valuation allowance		(450		)		(433		)
			1,297				1,063
	Deferred Tax Liabilities:
	Property, plant and equipment		67				78
	Unrealized gains and losses on derivative financial instruments		146				80
	Intangible assets		1,883				2,045
			2,096				2,203
	Net Deferred Tax Liabilities		799				1,140
	Prepaid on intercompany profit		69				66
	Total Net Deferred Tax Liabilities and Prepaid on Intercompany Profit		$	730			$	1,074
	Our deferred tax assets, deferred tax liabilities and prepaid on intercompany profit, are included in the following locations within our accompanying consolidated balance sheets (in millions):
	Location in	As of December 31,
Component	Balance Sheet	2014			2013
Current deferred tax asset and prepaid on intercompany profit	Deferred and prepaid income taxes	$	447		$	288
Non-current deferred tax asset	Other long-term assets	39			42
Deferred Tax Assets and Prepaid on Intercompany Profit		486			330
Current deferred tax liability	Other current liabilities	2			2
Non-current deferred tax liability	Deferred income taxes	1,214			1,402
Deferred Tax Liabilities		1,216			1,404
Net Deferred Tax Liabilities and Prepaid on Intercompany Profit		$	730		$	1,074
As of December 31, 2014, we had U.S. tax net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits, the tax effect of which was $335 million, as compared to $351 million as of December 31, 2013. In addition, we had foreign tax net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits, the tax effect of which was $304 million as of December 31, 2014, as compared to $313 million as of December 31, 2013. These tax attributes will expire periodically beginning in 2015. After consideration of all positive and negative evidence, we believe that it is more likely than not that a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. As a result, we established a valuation allowance of $450 million as of December 31, 2014 and $433 million as of December 31, 2013, representing an increase of $17 million. The increase in the valuation allowance as of December 31, 2014, as compared to December 31, 2013, is attributable primarily due to increase in certain deferred tax assets that are more likely than not that we will not be realizable. The income tax impact of the unrealized gain or loss component of other comprehensive income and stockholders' equity was a charge of $21 million in 2014, a charge of $76 million in 2013, and a charge of $70 million in 2012.
We have not provided U.S. income taxes and foreign withholding taxes on the undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 because we intend to permanently reinvest such earnings outside the U.S. As of December 31, 2014, the cumulative amount of excess financial reporting basis over the tax basis of investments in foreign subsidiaries that is indefinitely reinvested is approximately $7.7 billion. Generally, such amounts become subject to U.S. taxation upon the remittance of dividends and under certain other circumstances. It is not practicable to estimate the amount of deferred tax liability related to investments in these foreign subsidiaries.
We obtain tax incentives through Free Trade Zone Regime offered in Costa Rica which allows 100% exemption from income tax in the first eight years of operations and 50% exemption in the following four years. This tax incentive resulted in income tax savings of $7 million for 2014, $6 million for 2013, and $7 million for 2012. The tax incentive for 100% exemption from income tax is expected to expire in 2023. The impact of per share earnings is immaterial for 2014, 2013 and 2012.
As of December 31, 2014, we had $1.047 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $903 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2013, we had $1.102 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $941 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2012, we had $1.088 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $919 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in millions):
		Year Ended December 31,
		2014				2013				2012
						(restated)				(restated)
Beginning Balance		$	1,102			$	1,088			$	1,022
Additions based on positions related to the current year		44				59				54
Additions based on positions related to prior years		3				43				45
Reductions for tax positions of prior years		(87		)		(42		)		(28		)
Settlements with taxing authorities		(5		)		(15		)		(1		)
Statute of limitation expirations		(10		)		(31		)		(4		)
Ending Balance		$	1,047			$	1,102			$	1,088
We are subject to U.S. Federal income tax as well as income tax of multiple state and foreign jurisdictions. We have concluded all U.S. federal income tax matters through 2000, all foreign income tax matters through 2002 and substantially all material state and local income tax matters through 2005.
We have received Notices of Deficiency from the IRS reflecting proposed audit adjustments for Guidant for its 2001 through 2006 tax years and Boston Scientific Corporation for its 2006 and 2007 tax years. Subsequent to issuing these Notices, the IRS conceded a portion of its original assessment. The total incremental tax liability now asserted by the IRS for the applicable periods is $1.162 billion plus interest. The primary issue in dispute for all years is the transfer pricing in connection with the technology license agreements between domestic and foreign subsidiaries of Guidant. In addition, the IRS has proposed adjustments in connection with the financial terms of our Transaction Agreement with Abbott Laboratories pertaining to the sale of Guidant's vascular intervention business to Abbott in April 2006. We do not agree with the transfer pricing methodologies applied by the IRS or its resulting assessment and we believe that the IRS has exceeded its authority by attempting to adjust the terms of our negotiated third-party agreement with Abbott. In addition, we believe that the IRS positions with regard to these matters are inconsistent with the applicable tax laws and the existing Treasury regulations.
We believe we have meritorious defenses for our tax filings and we have filed, or will timely file, petitions with the U.S. Tax Court contesting the Notices of Deficiency for the tax years in challenge. No payments on the net assessment would be required until the dispute is definitively resolved, which, based on experiences of other companies, could take several years. The IRS is currently examining the 2008 through 2010 tax years of Boston Scientific. During 2014, we received a Revenue Agent Report from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reflecting significant proposed audit adjustments for our 2008, 2009, and 2010 tax years based upon the same transfer pricing methodologies that are currently being contested in the U.S. Tax Court for our tax years 2001-2007.  As with prior years, we disagree with the transfer pricing methodologies being applied by the IRS and we expect to contest any adjustments received through appropriate IRS and judicial procedures, as appropriate. We believe our income tax reserves associated with these matters are adequate as of December 31, 2014. However, final resolution is uncertain and could have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Also, in connection with the IRS issues, a number of agreed adjustments were contained in the IRS report, however no tax was paid on these amounts as there are outstanding tax receivables from the IRS that are currently being withheld due to the U.S. Tax Court case. As these agreed items are no longer uncertain, the amounts were reclassified from our uncertain tax positions to long-term, which are netted against the longer term receivables.
We recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes as a component of income tax expense. We had $443 million accrued for gross interest and penalties as of December 31, 2014 and $402 million as of December 31, 2013. The increase in gross interest and penalties was the result of $41 million recognized in our consolidated statements of operations. We recognized $26 million of interest and penalties related to income taxes in 2014, recognized $22 million in 2013 and recognized $34 million in 2012.
It is reasonably possible that within the next 12 months we will resolve multiple issues including transfer pricing and transactional related issues with foreign, federal and state taxing authorities, in which case we could record a reduction in our balance of unrecognized tax benefits of up to $8 million.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
	The medical device market in which we primarily participate is largely technology driven. As a result, intellectual property rights, particularly patents and trade secrets, play a significant role in product development and differentiation. Over the years, there has been litigation initiated against us by others, including our competitors, claiming that our current or former product offerings infringe patents owned or licensed by them. Intellectual property litigation is inherently complex and unpredictable. In addition, competing parties frequently file multiple suits to leverage patent portfolios across product lines, technologies and geographies and to balance risk and exposure between the parties. In some cases, several competitors are parties in the same proceeding, or in a series of related proceedings, or litigate multiple features of a single class of devices. These forces frequently drive settlement not only for individual cases, but also for a series of pending and potentially related and unrelated cases. Although monetary and injunctive relief is typically sought, remedies and restitution are generally not determined until the conclusion of the trial court proceedings and can be modified on appeal. Accordingly, the outcomes of individual cases are difficult to time, predict or quantify and are often dependent upon the outcomes of other cases in other geographies.
	During recent years, we successfully negotiated closure of several long-standing legal matters and have received favorable legal rulings in several other matters; however, there continues to be outstanding intellectual property litigation. Adverse outcomes in one or more of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our ability to sell certain products and on our operating margins, financial position, results of operations and/or liquidity.
	In the normal course of business, product liability, securities and commercial claims are asserted against us. Similar claims may be asserted against us in the future related to events not known to management at the present time. We maintain an insurance policy providing limited coverage against securities claims, and we are substantially self-insured with respect to product liability claims and fully self-insured with respect to intellectual property infringement claims. The absence of significant third-party insurance coverage increases our potential exposure to unanticipated claims or adverse decisions. Product liability claims, securities and commercial litigation, and other legal proceedings in the future, regardless of their outcome, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or liquidity.
	In addition, like other companies in the medical device industry, we are subject to extensive regulation by national, state and local government agencies in the United States and other countries in which we operate. From time to time we are the subject of qui tam actions and governmental investigations often involving regulatory, marketing and other business practices. These qui tam actions and governmental investigations could result in the commencement of civil and criminal proceedings, substantial fines, penalties and administrative remedies and have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or liquidity.
	In accordance with ASC Topic 450, Contingencies, we accrue anticipated costs of settlement, damages, losses for product liability claims and, under certain conditions, costs of defense, based on historical experience or to the extent specific losses are probable and estimable. Otherwise, we expense these costs as incurred. If the estimate of a probable loss is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, we accrue the minimum amount of the range.
	Our accrual for legal matters that are probable and estimable was $1.577 billion as of December 31, 2014 and $607 million as of December 31, 2013, and includes certain estimated costs of settlement, damages and defense. The increase in our legal accrual was primarily due to litigation-related charges recorded during the year. During 2014, 2013 and 2012, we recorded litigation-related charges in the amount of $1.036 billion, $221 million, and $192 million, respectively. The charges recorded in 2014 included $600 million related to the settlement agreement between our subsidiary, Guidant and Johnson & Johnson signed on February 13, 2015. We continue to assess certain litigation and claims to determine the amounts, if any, that management believes will be paid as a result of such claims and litigation and, therefore, additional losses may be accrued and paid in the future, which could materially adversely impact our operating results, cash flows and/or our ability to comply with our debt covenants.
	In management's opinion, we are not currently involved in any legal proceedings other than those specifically identified below, which, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, operations and/or cash flows. Unless included in our legal accrual or otherwise indicated below, a range of loss associated with any individual material legal proceeding cannot be estimated.
	Patent Litigation
	On September 22, 2009, Cordis Corporation, Cordis LLC and Wyeth Corporation filed a complaint for patent infringement against Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. and us alleging that the PROMUS® coronary stent system, supplied to us by Abbott, infringes a patent (the Llanos patent) owned by Cordis and Wyeth. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey seeking monetary and injunctive relief. In August 2010, Cordis filed an amended complaint to add an additional patent and in September 2010, we filed counterclaims of invalidity and non-infringement. On October 26, 2011, the District Court granted Cordis' motion to add the Promus Element stent system to the case. On February 6, 2012, the District Court granted our motion to stay the action until the conclusion of the reexaminations against the Llanos patents that are pending in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
	On May 19, 2005, G. David Jang, M.D. filed suit against us alleging breach of contract relating to certain patent rights covering stent technology. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California seeking monetary damages and rescission of contract. After a Markman ruling relating to the Jang patent rights, Dr. Jang stipulated to the dismissal of certain claims alleged in the complaint with a right to appeal and the parties subsequently agreed to settle the other claims. In May 2007, Dr. Jang filed an appeal with respect to the remaining patent claims and in July 2008, the Court of Appeals vacated the District Court's consent judgment and remanded the case back to the District Court for further clarification. In August 2011, the District Court entered a stipulated judgment that we did not infringe the Jang patent. Dr. Jang filed an appeal on September 21, 2011 and on August 22, 2012, the Court of Appeals vacated the District Court's judgment and remanded the case to the District Court for further proceedings. On April 18, 2014, the case was stayed pending consideration of an interlocutory appeal. On September 16, 2014, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit denied our request for an interlocutory appeal. A trial is scheduled to begin on June 22, 2015.
	On May 17, 2010, Dr. Luigi Tellini filed suit against us and certain of our subsidiaries, Guidant Italia S.r.l. and Boston Scientific S.p.A., in the Civil Tribunal in Milan, Italy alleging certain of our Cardiac Rhythm Management products infringe an Italian patent (the Tellini patent) owned by Dr. Tellini and seeking monetary damages. In January 2011, Dr. Tellini refiled amended claims after his initial claims were dismissed without prejudice to refile.
	On September 27, 2010, Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc., Boston Scientific Ltd., Endovascular Technologies, Inc. and we filed suit against Taewoong Medical, Co., Ltd., Standard Sci-Tech, Inc., EndoChoice, Inc. and Sewoon Medical Co., Ltd for infringement of three patents on stents for use in the GI system (the Pulnev and Hankh patents) and against Cook Medical Inc. (and related entities) for infringement of the same three patents and an additional patent (the Thompson patent). The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief. In December 2010, we amended our complaint to add infringement of six additional Pulnev patents. In January 2011, the defendants filed a counterclaim of invalidity and unenforceability. In December 2011, we amended the complaint to add Chek-Med Systems d/b/a GI Supply as a defendant.
	On February 18, 2014, Atlas IP, LLC filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida alleging that the sale of our LATITUDE® Patient Management System and implantable devices that communicate with the LATITUDE® device infringe a patent owned by Atlas. On July 9, 2014, the District Court granted our motion to transfer venue to the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. On January 12, 2015, Atlas dismissed its complaint.
	On September 22, 2014, The Board of Trustees for the University of Alabama filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama alleging that the sale of our cardiac resynchronization therapy devices infringe a patent owned by the University of Alabama.
	On October 14, 2014, MK Optics, LLC filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware alleging that the sale of our Spyglass Direct Visualization System infringes a patent owned by MK Optics.
	Product Liability Litigation
	Fewer than ten individual lawsuits remain pending in various state and federal jurisdictions against Guidant alleging personal injuries associated with defibrillators or pacemakers involved in certain 2005 and 2006 product communications. Further, we are aware of approximately 30 Guidant product liability lawsuits pending in international jurisdictions associated with defibrillators or pacemakers, including devices involved in the 2005 and 2006 product communications. Six of these suits are pending in Canada and were filed as class actions, four of which are stayed pending the outcome of two lead class actions. On April 10, 2008, the Justice of Ontario Court certified a class of persons in whom defibrillators were implanted in Canada and a class of family members with derivative claims. On May 8, 2009, the Justice of Ontario Court certified a class of persons in whom pacemakers were implanted in Canada and a class of family members with derivative claims. In each case, these matters generally seek monetary damages from us. The parties in the defibrillator class action have reached an agreement in principle to settle the matter for approximately $3 million. The presiding judge approved the settlement at a hearing on March 24, 2014. We paid the initial required payments during the second quarter of 2014 and funded the publication of the settlement notice during the third quarter of 2014.
	As of February 24, 2015, there were over 25,000 product liability cases or claims related to transvaginal surgical mesh products designed to treat stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse pending against us. The cases are pending in various federal and state courts in the United States and include eight putative class actions. There were also fewer than 20 cases in Canada, inclusive of three putative class actions, and fewer than 10 claims in the United Kingdom. Generally, the plaintiffs allege personal injury associated with use of our transvaginal surgical mesh products. The plaintiffs assert design and manufacturing claims, failure to warn, breach of warranty, fraud, violations of state consumer protection laws and loss of consortium claims. Over 2,500 of the cases have been specially assigned to one judge in state court in Massachusetts. On February 7, 2012, the Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation (MDL) established MDL-2326 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and transferred the federal court transvaginal surgical mesh cases to MDL-2326 for coordinated pretrial proceedings. During the fourth quarter of 2013, we received written discovery requests from certain state attorneys general offices regarding our transvaginal surgical mesh products. We have responded to those requests. We have established a product liability accrual for known and estimated future cases and claims asserted against us as well as costs of defense thereof associated with our transvaginal surgical mesh products. While we believe that our accrual associated with this matter is adequate, changes to this accrual may be required in the future as additional information becomes available. We intend to vigorously contest the cases and claims asserted against us; however, the final resolution is uncertain and could have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition and/or liquidity. Initial trials involving our transvaginal surgical mesh products have resulted in both favorable and unfavorable judgments for us. We do not believe that the judgment in any one trial is representative of potential outcomes of all cases or claims related to our transvaginal surgical mesh products.
	Governmental Investigations and Qui Tam Matters
	On June 27, 2008, the Republic of Iraq filed a complaint against our wholly-owned subsidiary, BSSA France, and 92 other defendants in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York. The complaint alleges that the defendants acted improperly in connection with the sale of products under the United Nations Oil for Food Program. The complaint also alleges Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) violations, conspiracy to commit fraud and the making of false statements and improper payments, and it seeks monetary and punitive damages. On February 6, 2013, the District Court dismissed the complaint with prejudice on standing and jurisdictional grounds. On September 18, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the District Court’s decision to dismiss the complaint with prejudice. On October 2, 2014, the plaintiff filed a petition for rehearing en banc. On December 2, 2014, the Second Circuit denied the petition for rehearing en banc.
	On March 12, 2010, we received a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) from the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting documents and information relating to reimbursement advice offered by us relating to certain CRM devices. We are cooperating with the request.
	On August 3, 2012, we were served with a qui tam complaint that had previously been filed under seal against Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corp. in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on March 2, 2011. On August 8, 2012, we learned that the federal government had previously declined to intervene in this matter. The relators’ complaint, now unsealed, alleges that Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corp. violated the federal and various states' false claims acts through submission of fraudulent bills for implanted devices, under-reporting of certain adverse events, and promotion of off-label uses. On September 10, 2012, the relators filed an amended complaint revising and restating certain of the claims in the original complaint. Our motion to dismiss, filed subsequently, was denied on May 31, 2013, and on June 28, 2013, we answered the amended complaint and brought certain counterclaims arising from relators’ unauthorized removal of documents from the business during their employments, which the relators moved to dismiss on July 22, 2013. The Court denied relators’ motion to dismiss the counterclaims on September 4, 2014.
	On May 5, 2014, we were served with a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. The subpoena seeks information relating to the launch of the Cognis and Teligen line of devices in 2008, the performance of those devices from 2007 to 2009, and the operation of the Physician Guided Learning Program. We are cooperating with this request.
	On July 11, 2014, we were served with a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. The subpoena seeks information relating to BridgePoint Medical, Inc., which we acquired in October 2012, including information relating to its sale of CrossBoss® and Stingray® products, educational and training activities that relate to those sales and our acquisition of BridgePoint Medical. We are cooperating with this request.
	On February 23, 2015, a judge for the Court of Modena (Italy) ordered a trial for Boston Scientific SpA and three of its employees, as well as numerous other defendants charged in criminal proceedings.  The charges arise from allegations that the defendants made improper donations to certain health care providers and other employees of the Hospital of Modena in order to induce them to conduct unauthorized clinical trials, as well as related government fraud in relation to the financing of such clinical trials.  We deny these allegations and intend to defend ourselves vigorously.  An initial trial hearing has been scheduled for October 28, 2015.
	Other Proceedings
	On September 25, 2006, Johnson & Johnson filed a lawsuit against us, Guidant and Abbott Laboratories in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The complaint alleges that Guidant breached certain provisions of the amended merger agreement between Johnson & Johnson and Guidant (Merger Agreement) as well as the implied duty of good faith and fair dealing. The complaint further alleges that Abbott and we tortiously interfered with the Merger Agreement by inducing Guidant's breach. The complaint seeks certain factual findings, damages in an amount no less than $5.5 billion and attorneys' fees, costs, and interest. In August 2007, the judge dismissed the tortious interference claims against us and Abbott and the implied duty of good faith and fair dealing claim against Guidant. On June 20, 2011, Guidant filed a motion for summary judgment, and the hearing on this motion was held on July 25, 2012. On July 7, 2014, the judge denied Guidant’s motion. The bench trial was held in November and December. On February 13, 2015, the parties reached a settlement agreement pursuant to which Guidant will make aggregate payments to Johnson & Johnson totaling $600 million, we agreed that neither we nor our affiliates will commence, or assist any third party in commencing, proceedings of any kind, against Johnson & Johnson or its affiliates for patent infringement or seeking any remedy for patent infringement based on Johnson & Johnson or its affiliates making, having made, using, selling, offering for sale or importing the S.M.A.R.T®, S.M.A.R.T® Control®, and S.M.A.R.T® Flex stent products and Johnson & Johnson has agreed to dismiss its actions against Guidant with prejudice.
	On October 5, 2007, Dr. Tassilo Bonzel filed a complaint against Pfizer, Inc. and our Schneider subsidiaries and us in the District Court in Kassel, Germany alleging that a 1995 license agreement related to a catheter patent is invalid under German law and seeking monetary damages. In June 2009, the District Court dismissed all but one of Dr. Bonzel's claims and in October 2009, he added new claims. We opposed the addition of the new claims. The District Court ordered Dr. Bonzel to select the claims he would pursue and in January 2011, he made that selection. A hearing was held on March 28, 2014 and a decision was made to take evidence at a hearing to be set at a later date. On January 23, 2015, the parties reached a confidential settlement agreement.
	On September 28, 2011, we served a complaint against Mirowski Family Ventures LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana for a declaratory judgment that we have paid all royalties owed and did not breach any contractual or fiduciary obligations arising out of a license agreement. Mirowski answered and filed counterclaims requesting damages. On May 13, 2013, Mirowski Family Ventures served us with a complaint alleging breach of contract in Montgomery County Circuit Court, Maryland, and they amended this complaint on August 1, 2013. On July 29, 2013, the Indiana case was dismissed. On September 10, 2013, we removed the case to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. On June 5, 2014, the District Court granted Mirowski’s motion to remand the case to the Montgomery County Circuit Court. On September 24, 2014, following a jury verdict against us, the Montgomery County Circuit Court entered a judgment that we breached our license agreement with Mirowski and awarded damages of $308 million. On October 28, 2014, the Montgomery County Circuit Court denied our post-trial motions seeking to overturn the judgment. On November 19, 2014, we filed an appeal with the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.
	On April 24, 2014, Dr. Qingsheng Zhu and Dr. Julio Spinelli, acting jointly on behalf of the stockholder representative committee of Action Medical, Inc. (Action Medical), filed a lawsuit against us and our subsidiary, Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. (CPI), in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The stockholder representatives allege that we and CPI breached a contractual duty to pursue development and commercialization of certain patented heart pacing methods and devices and to return certain patents.
	Refer to Note J - Income Taxes for information regarding our tax litigation.
	Matters Concluded Since December 31, 2013
	On February 1, 2008, Wyeth Corporation (Wyeth) and Cordis Corporation filed an amended complaint for patent infringement against Abbott Laboratories, adding us and Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. as additional defendants to the complaint. The suit alleged that the PROMUS® coronary stent system, supplied to us by Abbott, infringes three U.S. patents owned by Wyeth and licensed to Cordis. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey seeking monetary and injunctive relief. Wyeth and Cordis subsequently withdrew their infringement claim as to one of the patents, and the District Court found the remaining two patents invalid. Wyeth and Cordis filed an appeal and, on June 26, 2013, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the District Court’s judgment in favor of Boston Scientific. On October 13, 2013, Wyeth’s motion for rehearing or rehearing en banc was denied. The deadline for further appeals lapsed on January 13, 2014.
	On May 25, 2010, G. David Jang, M.D. filed suit against Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. and us alleging breach of contract relating to certain patent rights covering stent technology. In October 2011, the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware entered judgment in favor of us on the pleadings. Dr. Jang filed an appeal on August 28, 2012. On September 5, 2013, the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit vacated the ruling and remanded the case to the District Court. On March 31, 2014, the parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement. On April 2, 2014, the case was dismissed.
	On May 16, 2013, Vascular Solutions, Inc. filed suit against us, alleging that our Guidezilla™ guide extension catheter infringes three U.S. patents owned by Vascular Solutions. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota seeking monetary and injunctive relief. On May 28, 2013, Vascular Solutions filed an amended complaint adding an allegation of copyright infringement. On June 10, 2013, Vascular Solutions filed a motion requesting a preliminary injunction. On July 11, 2013, we answered the amended complaint and filed a counterclaim against Vascular Solutions, alleging that its Guideliner™ guide extension catheter infringes a U.S. patent owned by us. On December 12, 2013, the District Court granted the motion for a preliminary injunction and on December 26, 2013, we filed an appeal. On April 15, 2014, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit vacated the preliminary injunction. On July 30, 2014, we and Vascular Solutions entered into a confidential settlement agreement and the case was subsequently dismissed.
	On August 2, 2013, Medtronic Ardian Luxembourg S.a.r.l. filed a complaint against Boston Scientific Corporation and Boston Scientific Medizintechnik, GmbH in the Düsseldorf District Court in Germany alleging that the sale of our Vessix renal denervation product infringes a German patent owned by Medtronic Ardian. On December 29, 2014, the parties reached a confidential settlement and dismissed the case.
	On September 23, 2013, Kardiametrics, LLC filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware alleging that the sale of our FilterWire EZ Embolic Protection System, Sterling balloon catheters, Carotid NexStent and Carotid WallStent products infringe two patents owned by Kardiametrics. On January 24, 2014, we filed a motion to dismiss the case or, in the alternative, to stay the case pending an arbitration. On February 18, 2014, Kardiametrics dismissed its original complaint and filed a new complaint. On March 14, 2014, we filed a motion to dismiss the new case or, in the alternative, to stay the new case pending an arbitration. On May 28, 2014, Kardiametrics voluntarily dismissed its case.

Stockholders_Equity

Stockholders' Equity	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]	STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
	Preferred Stock
	We are authorized to issue 50 million shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the powers, designations, preferences and relative participating, option or other rights thereof, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption terms, liquidation preferences and the number of shares constituting any series, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, we had no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.
	Common Stock
	We are authorized to issue 2.0 billion shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share. Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share. Holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if and when declared by the Board of Directors, and to share ratably in our assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders in the event of liquidation. Holders of common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption, or conversion rights. The holders of common stock do not have cumulative voting rights. The holders of a majority of the shares of common stock can elect all of the directors and can control our management and affairs.
	On January 25, 2013, our Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to $1.0 billion of our common stock. During 2014, we repurchased approximately 10 million shares of our common stock for $125 million. During 2013, we repurchased approximately 51 million shares of our common stock for $500 million. During 2012, we repurchased approximately 105 million shares of our common stock for $600 million. Repurchased shares are available for reissuance under our equity incentive plans and for general corporate purposes, including acquisitions. As of December 31, 2014, we had remaining $535 million authorized under our 2013 share repurchase program. There were approximately 248 million shares in treasury as of December 31, 2014 and 238 million shares in treasury as of December 31, 2013.

Stock_Ownership_Plans

Stock Ownership Plans	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Stock Ownership Plans [Abstract]
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]	STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS
	Employee and Director Stock Incentive Plans
	In March and May 2011, our Board of Directors and stockholders, respectively, approved our 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2011 LTIP), authorizing up to 146 million shares of our common stock. The 2011 LTIP covers officers, directors, employees and consultants, and provides for the grant of restricted or unrestricted common stock, deferred stock units (DSU), options to acquire our common stock, stock appreciation rights, performance awards (market-based and performance-based DSUs) and other stock and non-stock awards. Shares reserved under our current and former stock incentive plans totaled approximately 179 million as of December 31, 2014. The Executive Compensation and Human Resources Committee of the Board of Directors, consisting of independent, non-employee directors, may authorize the issuance of common stock and authorize cash awards under the 2011 LTIP in recognition of the achievement of long-term performance objectives established by the Committee.
	Nonqualified options issued to employees are generally granted with an exercise price equal to the market price of our stock on the grant date, vest over a four-year service period, and have a ten-year contractual life. In the case of qualified options, if the recipient owns more than ten percent of the voting power of all classes of stock, the option granted will be at an exercise price of 110 percent of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant and will expire over a period not to exceed five years. Non-vested stock awards, including restricted stock awards and deferred stock units, issued to employees are generally granted with an exercise price of zero and typically vest in five equal annual installments. These awards represent our commitment to issue shares to recipients after the vesting period. Upon each vesting date, such awards are no longer subject to risk of forfeiture and we issue shares of our common stock to the recipient.
	The following presents the impact of stock-based compensation on our consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:
			Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions, except per share data)		2014				2013				2012
	Cost of products sold		$	6			$	8			$	15
	Selling, general and administrative expenses		79				79				69
	Research and development expenses		18				18				24
			103				105				108
	Less: income tax benefit		(28		)		(29		)		(32		)
			$	75			$	76			$	76
	Net impact per common share - basic		$	0.06			$	0.06			$	0.05
	Net impact per common share - assuming dilution		$	0.06			$	0.06			$	0.05
	Stock Options
	We use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to calculate the grant-date fair value of stock options granted to employees under our stock incentive plans. We calculated the fair value for options granted during 2014, 2013 and 2012 using the following estimated weighted-average assumptions:
			Year Ended December 31,
			2014				2013				2012
	Options granted (in thousands)		4,943				1,992				4,726
	Weighted-average exercise price		$	13.02			$	7.44			$	6.23
	Weighted-average grant-date fair value		$	5.07			$	2.84			$	2.6
	Black-Scholes Assumptions
	Expected volatility		37		%		36		%		43		%
	Expected term (in years, weighted)		6				5.9				5.9
	Risk-free interest rate		1.69% - 2.09%				0.89% - 1.72%				0.95% - 1.15%
	Expected Volatility
	We use our historical volatility and implied volatility as a basis to estimate expected volatility in our valuation of stock options.
	Expected Term
	We estimate the expected term of options using historical exercise and forfeiture data. We believe that this historical data provides the best estimate of the expected term of new option grants.
	Risk-Free Interest Rate
	We use yield rates on U.S. Treasury securities for a period approximating the expected term of the award to estimate the risk-free interest rate in our grant-date fair value assessment.
	Expected Dividend Yield
	We have not historically paid cash dividends to our shareholders and currently do not intend to pay cash dividends. Therefore, we have assumed an expected dividend yield of zero in our grant-date fair value assessment.
	Information related to stock options for 2014, 2013 and 2012 under stock incentive plans is as follows:
			Stock Options			Weighted				Weighted Average		Aggregate
			(in thousands)			Average				Remaining		Intrinsic
						Exercise Price				Contractual Life		Value
										(in years)		(in millions)
	Outstanding as of December 31, 2011		60,921			$	13
	Granted		4,726			6
	Exercised		—			—
	Cancelled/forfeited		(10,766	)		15
	Outstanding as of December 31, 2012		54,881			$	12
	Granted		1,992			7
	Exercised		(7,221	)		8
	Cancelled/forfeited		(4,760	)		21
	Outstanding as of December 31, 2013		44,892			$	12
	Granted		4,943			13
	Exercised		(4,418	)		8
	Cancelled/forfeited		(5,909	)		17
	Outstanding as of December 31, 2014		39,508			$	11			5		$	145
	Exercisable as of December 31, 2014		29,380			$	12			4		109
	Expected to vest as of December 31, 2014		9,477			10				7.9		35
	Total vested and expected to vest as of December 31, 2014		38,857			$	11			4.9		$	144
	The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised was $24 million in both 2014 and 2013 and less than $1 million in 2012.
	Non-Vested Stock
	We value restricted stock awards and DSUs based on the closing trading value of our shares on the date of grant. Information related to non-vested stock awards during 2014, 2013 and 2012 is as follows:
			Non-Vested			Weighted Average
			Stock Award Units			Grant- Date
			(in thousands)			Fair Value
	Balance as of December 31, 2011		33,576			$	8
	Granted		17,073			6
	Vested (1)		(10,158	)		9
Forfeited		(3,898	)		7
Balance as of December 31, 2012		36,593			$	7
Granted		13,913			8
Vested (1)		(10,307	)		8
Forfeited		(2,860	)		7
Balance as of December 31, 2013		37,339			$	7
Granted		7,072			13
Vested (1)		(11,205	)		7
Forfeited		(2,671	)		8
Balance as of December 31, 2014		30,535			$	9
-1	The number of restricted stock units vested includes shares withheld on behalf of employees to satisfy statutory tax withholding requirements.
The total vesting date fair value of stock award units that vested was approximately $146 million in 2014, $80 million in 2013 and $60 million in 2012.
Market-based DSU Awards
During 2014, 2013 and 2012, we granted market-based DSU awards to certain members of our senior management team. The number of shares ultimately issued to the recipient is based on the total shareholder return (TSR) of our common stock as compared to the TSR of the common stock of the other companies in the S&P 500 Health Care Index over a three-year performance period. In addition, award recipients must remain employed by us throughout the three-year performance period to attain the full amount of the market-based DSUs that satisfied the market performance criteria.
We determined the fair value of the 2014 market-based DSU awards to be approximately $6 million and the fair values of both the 2013 and the 2012 market-based awards to be approximately $8 million. We determined these fair values based on Monte Carlo simulations as of the date of grant, utilizing the following assumptions:
		2014				2013				2012
		Awards				Awards				Awards
Stock price on date of grant		$	13.08			$	7.39			$	6.28
Measurement period (in years)		3				3				3
Risk-free rate		0.66		%		0.34		%		0.38		%
We recognize the expense on these awards in our consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the three-year measurement period.
Free Cash Flow Performance-based DSU Awards
During 2014, 2013 and 2012, we granted free cash flow performance-based DSU awards to certain members of our senior management team. The attainment of these performance-based DSUs is based on our adjusted free cash flow (FCF) measured against our internal annual financial plan performance for FCF. FCF is measured over a one-year performance period beginning January 1st of each year and ending December 31st. The number of performance-based DSUs as to which the performance criteria under this program shall be determined to have been satisfied will be in a range of 0% to 150% of the target number of performance-based DSUs awarded to the participant. In addition, award recipients must remain employed by us throughout a three-year service period (inclusive of the one-year performance period) to attain the full amount of the performance-based DSUs that satisfied the performance criteria.
We determined the fair value of the 2014 FCF awards to be approximately $5 million, based on the closing stock price at December 31, 2014 and an achievement of approximately 100% of the target payout, which is subject to approval by the Executive Compensation and Human Resources Committee of our Board of Directors. The per unit fair value is $13.25, which is the closing stock price on December 31, 2014. We determined the fair value of the 2013 FCF awards to be approximately $9 million and the per unit fair value was $12.02, and we determined the fair value of the 2012 FCF awards to be approximately $7 million and the per unit fair value was $5.73.
We recognize the expense on these awards in our consolidated statements of operations over the vesting period which is three years after the date of grant.
Expense Attribution
We recognize compensation expense for our stock using a straight-line method over the substantive vesting period. Most of our stock awards provide for immediate vesting upon death or disability of the participant. In addition, our stock grants to employees provide for accelerated vesting of our stock-based awards, other than performance-based and market-based awards, upon retirement. In accordance with the terms of our stock grants, for employees who will become retirement eligible prior to the vest date we expense stock-based awards, other than performance-based and market-based awards, over the greater of one year or the period between grant date and retirement-eligibility. The performance-based and market-based awards discussed above do not contain provisions that would accelerate the full vesting of the awards upon retirement-eligibility.
We recognize stock-based compensation expense for the value of the portion of awards that are ultimately expected to vest. ASC Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. The term “forfeitures” is distinct from “cancellations” or “expirations” and represents only the unvested portion of the surrendered stock-based award. We have applied, based on an analysis of our historical forfeitures, a weighted-average annual forfeiture rate of approximately nine percent to all unvested stock-based awards as of December 31, 2014, which represents the portion that we expect will be forfeited each year over the vesting period. We re-evaluate this analysis annually, or more frequently if there are significant changes in circumstances, and adjust the forfeiture rate as necessary. Ultimately, we will only recognize expense for those shares that vest.
Unrecognized Compensation Cost
We expect to recognize the following future expense for awards outstanding as of December 31, 2014:
		Unrecognized				Weighted Average
		Compensation  Cost				Remaining
		(in millions)(1)				Vesting Period
						(in years)
Stock options		$	20
Non-vested stock awards		133
		$	153			1.3
-1	Amounts presented represent compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures.
Employee Stock Purchase Plans
Our global employee stock purchase plan provides for the granting of options to purchase up to 50 million shares of our common stock to all eligible employees. Under the global employee stock purchase plan, we grant each eligible employee, at the beginning of each six-month offering period, an option to purchase shares of our common stock equal to not more than ten percent of the employee’s eligible compensation or the statutory limit under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Such options may be exercised only to the extent of accumulated payroll deductions at the end of the offering period, at a purchase price equal to 85 percent of the fair market value of our common stock at the beginning or end of each offering period, whichever is less. As of December 31, 2014, there were approximately 20 million shares available for future issuance under the employee stock purchase plan.
Information related to shares issued or to be issued in connection with the employee stock purchase plan based on employee contributions and the range of purchase prices is as follows:
(shares in thousands)		2014			2013			2012
Shares issued or to be issued		2,618			3,833			3,979
Range of purchase prices		$10.12 - $11.04			$5.01 - $7.96			$4.82 - $5.16
We use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to calculate the grant-date fair value of shares issued under the employee stock purchase plan. We recognize expense related to shares purchased through the employee stock purchase plan ratably over the offering period. We recognized $8 million in expense associated with our employee stock purchase plan in 2014, $7 million in 2013 and $4 million in 2012.

Weighted_Average_Shares_Outsta

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
EARNINGS PER SHARE	WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014	2013	2012
	Weighted average shares outstanding - basic	1,324.30	1,341.20	1,406.70
	Net effect of common stock equivalents	—	—	—
	Weighted average shares outstanding - assuming dilution	1,324.30	1,341.20	1,406.70
	We generated net losses in 2014, 2013 and 2012. Our weighted-average shares outstanding for earnings per share calculations excluded common stock equivalents of 24 million, 19 million and 8 million due to our net loss positions in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	Weighted-average shares outstanding, assuming dilution, also excludes the impact of 12 million stock options for 2014, 16 million for 2013, and 59 million for 2012, due to the exercise prices of these stock options being greater than the average fair market value of our common stock during the year.

Segment_Reporting

Segment Reporting	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
SEGMENT REPORTING	SEGMENT REPORTING
	Effective as of January 1, 2013, we reorganized our business from geographic regions to fully operationalized global business units. Following the reorganization, based on information regularly reviewed by our chief operating decision maker, we have three reportable segments comprised of: Cardiovascular, Rhythm Management, and MedSurg. Our reportable segments represent an aggregate of operating segments. We have restated the 2012 information to conform to our new global reportable segment presentation.
	Each of our reportable segments generates revenues from the sale of medical devices. We measure and evaluate our reportable segments based on segment net sales and operating income, excluding the impact of changes in foreign currency and sales from divested businesses. Sales generated from reportable segments and divested businesses, as well as operating results of reportable segments and corporate expenses, are based on internally-derived standard currency exchange rates, which may differ from year to year, and do not include intersegment profits. We restated segment information for the prior periods based on our internally-derived standard currency exchange rates used for the current period in order to remove the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, and for the realignment of certain product lines from Endoscopy to Peripheral Interventions as of January 1, 2014, which was not material. We exclude from segment operating income certain corporate-related expenses and certain charges or credits that our chief operating decision maker considers to be non-recurring and/or non-operational, such as amounts related to goodwill and other intangible asset impairment charges; acquisition-, divestiture-, restructuring- and litigation-related charges and credits; and amortization expense. Although we exclude these amounts from segment operating income, they are included in reported consolidated operating income (loss) and are included in the reconciliation below.
	A reconciliation of the totals reported for the reportable segments to the applicable line items in our accompanying consolidated statements of operations is as follows:
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
	Net sales				(restated)			(restated)
	Interventional Cardiology	$	2,092		$	1,995		$	2,116
	Peripheral Interventions	861			805			764
	Cardiovascular	2,953			2,800			2,880
	Cardiac Rhythm Management	1,922			1,882			1,887
	Electrophysiology	228			154			145
	Rhythm Management	2,150			2,036			2,032
	Endoscopy	1,343			1,277			1,190
	Urology and Women's Health	542			505			489
	Neuromodulation	474			454			367
	MedSurg	2,359			2,236			2,046
	Net sales allocated to reportable segments	7,462			7,072			6,958
	Sales generated from business divestitures	4			58			122
	Impact of foreign currency fluctuations	(86		)	13			169
		$	7,380		$	7,143		$	7,249
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
	Depreciation expense				(restated)			(restated)
	Cardiovascular	$	120		$	111		$	107
	Rhythm Management	92			99			109
	MedSurg	75			73			75
	Depreciation expense allocated to reportable segments	287			283			291
	Impact of foreign currency fluctuations	—			(4		)	(3		)
		$	287		$	279		$	288
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
	Income (loss) before income taxes				(restated)			(restated)
	Cardiovascular	$	767		$	665		$	685
	Rhythm Management	289			211			217
	MedSurg	746			679			590
	Operating income allocated to reportable segments	1,802			1,555			1,492
	Corporate expenses and currency exchange	(308		)	(203		)	(132		)
	Goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges and acquisition-, divestiture-, litigation-, and restructuring-related net charges	(1,357		)	(822		)	(4,833		)
	Amortization expense	(438		)	(410		)	(395		)
	Operating income (loss)	(301		)	120			(3,868		)
	Other expense, net	(208		)	(343		)	(239		)
		$	(509	)	$	(223	)	$	(4,107	)
		As of December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013
	Total assets
	Cardiovascular	$	1,501		$	1,545
	Rhythm Management	1,329			1,343
	MedSurg	982			1,026
	Total assets allocated to reportable segments	3,812			3,914
	Goodwill	5,898			5,693
	Other intangible assets, net	5,606			5,950
	All other corporate assets	1,726			1,014
		$	17,042		$	16,571
	Enterprise-Wide Information (based on actual currency exchange rates)
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
	Net sales				(restated)*			(restated)*
	Interventional Cardiology	$	2,057		$	1,997		$	2,179
	Cardiac Rhythm Management	1,912			1,886			1,908
	Endoscopy	1,323			1,280			1,239
	Peripheral Interventions	850			809			787
	Urology and Women’s Health	535			505			500
	Neuromodulation	472			453			367
Electrophysiology	227			155			147
	7,376			7,085			7,127
Sales generated from divested businesses	4			58			122
	$	7,380		$	7,143		$	7,249
United States	$	3,885		$	3,743		$	3,756
Japan	678			744			931
Other countries	2,813			2,598			2,440
	7,376			7,085			7,127
Sales generated from divested businesses	4			58			122
	$	7,380		$	7,143		$	7,249
*We restated segment information for the prior periods for the realignment of certain product lines from Endoscopy to Peripheral Interventions as of January 1, 2014.
	As of December 31,
(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
Long-lived assets
United States	$	1,002		$	998		$	1,065
Ireland	197			240			252
Other foreign countries	308			308			247
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,507			1,546			1,564
Goodwill	5,898			5,693			5,973
Other intangible assets, net	5,606			5,950			6,289
	$	13,011		$	13,189		$	13,826

Changes_in_Other_Comprehensive

Changes in Other Comprehensive Income	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Changes in Other Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Note [Text Block]	CHANGES IN OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
	The following table provides the reclassifications out of other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013. Amounts in the chart below are presented net of tax.
	Year Ended December 31, 2014
	(in millions)	Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	Unrealized Gains/Losses on Derivative Financial Instruments	Defined Benefit Pension Items / Other	Total
	Beginning Balance	($16)	$141	($19)	$106
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	-22	145	-10	113
	(Gain)/Loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	—	-67	-8	-75
	Net current-period other comprehensive income	-22	78	-18	38
	Ending Balance	($38)	$219	($37)	$144
	Year Ended December 31, 2013
	(in millions)	Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	Unrealized Gains/Losses on Derivative Financial Instruments	Defined Benefit Pension Items / Other	Total
	Beginning Balance	($26)	$34	($41)	($33)
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	10	130	31	171
	(Gain)/Loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	—	-23	-9	-32
	Net current-period other comprehensive income	10	107	22	139
	Ending Balance	($16)	$141	($19)	$106
	The income tax impact of the amounts in other comprehensive income for unrealized gains/losses on derivative financial instruments before reclassifications was an expense of $83 million in the year ended December 31, 2014 and an expense of $77 million in the year ended December 31, 2013. The gains and losses on derivative financial instruments reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income were reduced by income tax impacts of $38 million in the year ended December 31, 2014 and $14 million in the year ended December 31, 2013. Refer to Note E – Fair Value Measurements for further detail on the reclassifications related to derivatives.
	The income tax impact of the amounts in other comprehensive income for defined benefit and pension items before reclassifications was a benefit of $5 million in the year ended December 31, 2014 and an expense of $15 million in the year ended December 31, 2013. The gains and losses on defined benefit and pension items reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income were reduced by income tax impacts of $5 million in the year ended December 31, 2014 and $6 million in the year ended December 31, 2013.

New_Accounting_Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS	NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
	Standards Implemented
	ASC Update No. 2013-11
	In July 2013, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists. Update No. 2013-11 requires that entities present an unrecognized tax benefit, or portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, as a reduction to a deferred tax asset in the financial statements for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward, with certain exceptions. We adopted Update No. 2013-11 beginning in our first quarter ended March 31, 2014. The adoption of Update No. 2013-11 did not impact our results of operations or financial position.
	Standards to be Implemented
	ASC Update No. 2014-08
	In April 2014, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity. Update No. 2014-08 changed the criteria for reporting discontinued operations and enhanced convergence of the FASB's and the International Accounting Standard Board's (IASB) reporting requirements for discontinued operations. We are required to apply this amendment, prospectively to: (1) all disposals (or classifications as held for sale) of components of an entity that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014 and interim periods within those years and (2) all businesses that, on acquisition, are classified as held for sale that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014 and interim periods within those years. The adoption of Update No. 2014-08 is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
	ASC Update No. 2014-09
	In May 2014, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). Update No. 2014-09 provides enhancements to the quality and consistency of how revenue is reported while also improving comparability in the financial statements of companies using International Financial Reporting Standards and U.S. GAAP. The core principle requires entities to recognize revenue in a manner that depicts the transfer of goods or services to customers in amounts that reflect the consideration an entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. We are required to apply Update No. 2014-09 for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early application is not permitted. We are in the process of determining the effect, if any, that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial position or results of operations.
	ASC Update No. 2014-10
	In June 2014, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2014-10, Development Stage Entities (Topic 915): Elimination of Certain Financial Reporting Requirements, Including an Amendment to Variable Interest Entities Guidance in Topic 810, Consolidation. The amendments remove the definition of a development stage entity from the Master Glossary of the Accounting Standards Codification, thereby removing the financial reporting distinction between development stage entities and other reporting entities. The amendments also eliminate an exception provided to development stage entities in Topic 810, Consolidation, for determining whether an entity is a variable interest entity on the basis of the amount of investment equity that is at risk. The elimination of the exception may change the consolidation analysis and disclosure requirements for a reporting entity that has an interest in an entity in the development stage. We are required to apply Update No. 2014-10 for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within those years. The adoption of Update No. 2014-10 is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
	ASC Update No. 2014-15
	In August 2014, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern: Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40). Update 2014-15 requires management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern every reporting period, and provide certain disclosures if management has substantial doubt about the entities ability to operate as a going concern, or an express statement if not, by incorporating and expanding upon certain principles that are currently in U.S. auditing standards. Update 2014-15 is effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. The adoption of Update No. 2014-15 is not expected to have an impact on our financial position or results of operations.
	ASC Update No. 2015-01
	In January 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-01, Income Statement - Extraordinary and Unusual Items (Subtopic 225-20). Update 2015-01 eliminates the concept of extraordinary items from GAAP, which requires an entity to separately classify, present, and disclose extraordinary events and transactions. Update 2015-01 is effective for the annual period beginning after December 15, 2015, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. The adoption of Update 2015-01 is not expected to have an impact on our financial position or results of operations.
	ASC Update No. 2015-02
	In February 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis. Update 2015-02 amended the process that a reporting entity must perform to determine whether it should consolidate certain types of legal entities.  Update 2015-02 is effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2015, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. The adoption of Update 2015-02 is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.

Schedule_II

Schedule II	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]
Schedule of Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Text Block]
	Description	Balance at		Charges to	Deductions to		Charges to		Balance at
		Beginning of Year		Costs and	Allowances for		(Deductions from)		End of Year
				Expenses (a)	Uncollectible		Other Accounts (c)
					Accounts (b)
	Year Ended December 31, 2014:
	Allowances for uncollectible accounts and sales returns and allowances	$	112	10	(15	)	(2	)	$	105
	Year Ended December 31, 2013:
	Allowances for uncollectible accounts and sales returns and allowances	$	119	5	(12	)	—		$	112
	Year Ended December 31, 2012:
	Allowances for uncollectible accounts and sales returns and allowances	$	116	14	(7	)	(4	)	$	119
	(a) Represents allowances for uncollectible accounts established through selling, general and administrative expenses.
	(b) Represents actual write-offs of uncollectible accounts.
	(c) Represents net change in allowances for sales returns, recorded as contra-revenue.

Significant_Accounting_Policie1

Significant Accounting Policies Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	Principles of Consolidation
	Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Boston Scientific Corporation and our wholly-owned subsidiaries, after the elimination of intercompany transactions. We assess the terms of our investment interests to determine if any of our investees meet the definition of a variable interest entity (VIE). For any VIEs, we perform an analysis to determine whether our variable interests give us a controlling financial interest in a VIE. The analysis identifies the primary beneficiary of a VIE as the enterprise that has both 1) the power to direct activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and 2) the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the right to receive benefits from the entity. Based on our assessments under the applicable guidance, we did not have controlling financial or operating interests in any VIEs and therefore did not consolidate any VIEs during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012.
	On January 3, 2011, we closed the sale of our Neurovascular business to Stryker Corporation (Stryker). Due to our continuing involvement in the operations of the Neurovascular business following the divestiture, the divestiture did not meet the criteria for presentation as a discontinued operation and, therefore, the results of the Neurovascular business are included in our results of operations for all periods presented. Refer to Note C – Divestitures for a description of this business divestiture.
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying consolidated financial statements of Boston Scientific Corporation have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) and with the instructions to Form 10-K and Regulation S-X.
	Reclassifications
	Effective as of January 1, 2013, we reorganized our business from geographic regions to fully operationalized global business units. Our reorganization changed our reporting structure and changed the composition of our reporting units. As such, we have reclassified certain prior year amounts to conform to the current year’s presentation. We also restated segment information for the prior periods for the realignment of certain product lines from Endoscopy to Peripheral Interventions as of January 1, 2014. See Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets and Note O – Segment Reporting for further details.
	Additionally, certain prior year cash outflows from net share settling employee equity awards to satisfy their tax withholding requirement have been reclassified from an operating activity to a financing activity within our consolidated statements of cash flows. Amounts reclassified from operating to financing activities were not material.
	In addition, we restated components of our tabular disclosures of our deferred tax assets and liabilities along with our tabular rollforward of unrecognized tax benefit from prior year’s presentation, to include certain deferred tax assets that have been recorded net of valuation allowance and uncertain tax position. This restatement was performed to better present our overall deferred tax inventory and unrecognized tax positions but had no material impact on the prior year presentations of our consolidated statement of operation or consolidated balance sheet. See Note J - Income Taxes for further details.
	Finally, we restated segment information for the prior periods based on our internally-derived standard currency exchange rates used for the current period in order to remove the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Refer to Note O - Segment Reporting for further details.
Subsequent Events, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Subsequent Events
	We evaluate events occurring after the date of our accompanying consolidated balance sheets for potential recognition or disclosure in our financial statements. On February 13, 2015, we signed an agreement with Johnson & Johnson to settle the breach of merger agreement lawsuit brought by Johnson & Johnson against Guidant Corporation (Guidant), stemming from our acquisition of Guidant. As a result of the settlement agreement, Johnson & Johnson has agreed to dismiss permanently its action without acknowledgment of liability by Guidant. In exchange, we have agreed to make aggregate payments totaling $600 million to Johnson & Johnson. This settlement is considered a material recognized subsequent event and has been reflected appropriately in our accompanying consolidated financial statements. See Note K– Commitments and Contingencies for futher details.
	In addition, those items requiring disclosure (unrecognized subsequent events) in the financial statements have been disclosed accordingly. See Note K– Commitments and Contingencies for further details.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Accounting Estimates
	To prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, management makes estimates and assumptions that may affect the reported amounts of our assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent liabilities as of the date of our financial statements and the reported amounts of our revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Our actual results may differ from these estimates. Refer to Critical Accounting Estimates included in Item 7 of this Annual Report for further discussion.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Cash and Cash Equivalents
	We record cash and cash equivalents in our consolidated balance sheets at cost, which approximates fair value. Our policy is to invest excess cash in short-term marketable securities earning a market rate of interest without assuming undue risk to principal, and we limit our direct exposure to securities in any one industry or issuer. We consider all highly liquid investments purchased with a remaining maturity of three months or less at the time of acquisition to be cash equivalents.
	We record available-for-sale investments at fair value and exclude unrealized gains and temporary losses on available-for-sale securities from earnings, reporting such gains and losses, net of tax, as a separate component of stockholders’ equity, until realized. We compute realized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale securities based on the average cost method, adjusted for any other-than-temporary declines in fair value. We held no available-for-sale securities during 2014, 2013, and 2012.
Concentration Risk Disclosure [Text Block]	Concentrations of Credit Risk
	Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, derivative financial instrument contracts and accounts and notes receivable. Our investment policy limits exposure to concentrations of credit risk and changes in market conditions. Counterparties to financial instruments expose us to credit-related losses in the event of nonperformance. We transact our financial instruments with a diversified group of major financial institutions with investment grade credit ratings and actively monitor their credit ratings and our outstanding positions to limit our credit exposure. We provide credit, in the normal course of business, to hospitals, healthcare agencies, clinics, doctors' offices and other private and governmental institutions and generally do not require collateral. We record our accounts receivable in our consolidated balance sheets at net realizable value. We perform on-going credit evaluations of our customers and maintain allowances for potential credit losses, based on historical information and management's best estimates. Amounts determined to be uncollectible are written off against this reserve. We recorded write-offs of uncollectible accounts receivable of $15 million in 2014, $12 million in 2013, and $7 million in 2012. We are not dependent on any single institution and no single customer accounted for more than ten percent of our net sales in 2014, 2013, and 2012 or accounts receivable at December 31, 2014 or 2013; however, large group purchasing organizations, hospital networks and other buying groups have become increasingly important to our business and represent a substantial portion of our U.S. net sales.
	We closely monitor outstanding receivables for potential collection risks, including those that may arise from economic conditions, in both the U.S. and international economies. Our European sales to government-owned or supported customers in Southern Europe, specifically Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal are subject to an increased number of days outstanding relative to other countries prior to payment. Historically, receivable balances with certain publicly-owned hospitals in these countries accumulate over a period of time and are then subsequently settled as large lump sum payments. While we believe our allowance for doubtful accounts in these countries is adequate as of December 31, 2014, if significant changes were to occur in the payment practices of these European governments or if government funding becomes unavailable, we may not be able to collect on receivables due to us from these customers and our write-offs of uncollectible amounts may increase. As of December 31, 2014, our net receivables in these countries greater than 180 days past due totaled approximately $26 million, of which approximately $11 million were past due greater than 365 days.
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Revenue Recognition
	We generate revenue primarily from the sale of single-use medical devices, and present revenue net of sales taxes in our consolidated statements of operations. We sell our products primarily through a direct sales force. In certain international markets, we sell our products through independent distributors. We consider revenue to be realized or realizable and earned when all of the following criteria are met: persuasive evidence of a sales arrangement exists; delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; the price is fixed or determinable; and collectibility is reasonably assured. Revenue is recognized upon passage of title and risk of loss to customers, unless we are required to provide additional services, and provided we can form an estimate for sales returns. We recognize revenue from consignment arrangements based on product usage, or implant, which indicates that the sale is complete. For revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables, where the sale of a device is combined with a future service obligation, we defer revenue on the undelivered element and recognize this revenue over the related service period. Many of our Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) product offerings combine the sale of a device with our LATITUDE® Patient Management System, which represents a future service obligation. We do not have vendor specific objective evidence of selling price available related to our future service obligations; therefore, we determine our estimates of selling price using third party evidence when available; otherwise, we use our best estimate of selling price. We allocate arrangement consideration using the relative selling price method.
	We generally allow our customers to return defective, damaged and, in certain cases, expired products for credit. We base our estimate for sales returns upon historical trends and record the amount as a reduction to revenue when we sell the initial product. In addition, we may allow customers to return previously purchased products for next-generation product offerings. For these transactions, we defer recognition of revenue on the sale of the earlier generation product based upon an estimate of the amount of product to be returned when the next-generation products are shipped to the customer.
	We also offer sales rebates and discounts to certain customers. We treat sales rebates and discounts as a reduction of revenue and classify the corresponding liability as current. We estimate rebates for products where there is sufficient historical information available to predict the volume of expected future rebates. If we are unable to estimate the expected rebates reasonably, we record a liability for the maximum rebate percentage offered. We have entered certain agreements with group purchasing organizations to sell our products to participating hospitals at negotiated prices. We recognize revenue from these agreements following the same revenue recognition criteria discussed above.
Product Warranty Disclosure [Text Block]	Warranty Obligations
	We offer warranties on certain of our product offerings. The majority of our warranty liability relates to implantable devices offered by our CRM business, which include defibrillator and pacemaker systems. Our CRM products come with a standard limited warranty covering the replacement of these devices. We offer a full warranty for a portion of the period post-implant, and a partial warranty for a period of time thereafter. We estimate the costs that we may incur under our warranty programs based on the number of units sold, historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims and cost per claim, and record a liability equal to these estimated costs as cost of products sold at the time the product sale occurs. We assess the adequacy of our recorded warranty liabilities on a quarterly basis and adjust these amounts as necessary.
	Changes in our product warranty accrual during 2014, 2013, and 2012 consisted of the following (in millions):
		Year Ended December 31,
		2014			2013			2012
	Beginning balance	$	28		$	26		$	30
	Provision	9			12			8
	Settlements/ reversals	(12		)	(10		)	(12		)
	Ending balance	$	25		$	28		$	26
Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Inventories
	We state inventories at the lower of first-in, first-out cost or market. We base our provisions for excess, expired and obsolete inventory primarily on our estimates of forecasted net sales. A significant change in the timing or level of demand for our products as compared to forecasted amounts may result in recording additional provisions for excess, expired and obsolete inventory in the future. Further, the industry in which we participate is characterized by rapid product development and frequent new product introductions. Uncertain timing of next-generation product approvals, variability in product launch strategies, product recalls and variation in product utilization all affect our estimates related to excess, expired and obsolete inventory. Approximately 40 percent of our finished goods inventory as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 was at customer locations pursuant to consignment arrangements or held by sales representatives.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Property, Plant and Equipment
	We state property, plant, equipment, and leasehold improvements at historical cost. We charge expenditures for maintenance and repairs to expense and capitalize additions and improvements that extend the life of the underlying asset. We provide for depreciation using the straight-line method at rates that approximate the estimated useful lives of the assets. We depreciate buildings and improvements over a 20 to 40 year life; equipment, furniture and fixtures over a three to ten year life; and leasehold improvements over the shorter of the useful life of the improvement or the term of the related lease. Depreciation expense was $287 million in 2014, $279 million in 2013, and $288 million in 2012.
Business Combinations Policy [Policy Text Block]	Valuation of Business Combinations
	We allocate the amounts we pay for each acquisition to the assets we acquire and liabilities we assume based on their fair values at the dates of acquisition, including identifiable intangible assets and in-process research and development which either arise from a contractual or legal right or are separable from goodwill. We base the fair value of identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination, including in-process research and development, on detailed valuations that use information and assumptions provided by management, which consider management’s best estimates of inputs and assumptions that a market participant would use. We allocate any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired to goodwill. Transaction costs associated with these acquisitions are expensed as incurred through selling, general and administrative costs.
	In those circumstances where an acquisition involves a contingent consideration arrangement, we recognize a liability equal to the fair value of the contingent payments we expect to make as of the acquisition date. We re-measure this liability each reporting period and record changes in the fair value through a separate line item within our consolidated statements of operations. Increases or decreases in the fair value of the contingent consideration liability can result from changes in discount periods and rates, as well as changes in the timing and amount of revenue estimates or in the timing or likelihood of achieving regulatory, revenue or commercialization-based milestones.
In Process Research and Development, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Indefinite-lived Intangibles, including In-Process Research and Development
	Our indefinite-lived intangible assets that are not subject to amortization include acquired balloon and other technology, which is foundational to our continuing operations within the Cardiovascular market and other markets within interventional medicine, and in-process research and development intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Our in-process research and development represents intangible assets acquired in a business combination that are used in research and development activities but have not yet reached technological feasibility, regardless of whether they have alternative future use. The primary basis for determining the technological feasibility or completion of these projects is obtaining regulatory approval to market the underlying products in an applicable geographic region. We classify in-process research and development acquired in a business combination as an indefinite-lived intangible asset until the completion or abandonment of the associated research and development efforts. Upon completion of the associated research and development efforts, we will determine the useful life of the technology and begin amortizing the assets to reflect their use over their remaining lives. Upon permanent abandonment, we would write-off the remaining carrying amount of the associated in-process research and development intangible asset.
	We test our indefinite-lived intangible assets at least annually during the third quarter for impairment and reassess their classification as indefinite-lived assets; in addition, we review our indefinite-lived assets for classification and impairment more frequently if changes in circumstances or indicators exist. We assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that our indefinite-lived intangible assets are impaired. If we conclude that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired, we then determine the fair value of the intangible asset and perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value with the carrying value in accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset, we write the carrying value down to the fair value.
	We use the income approach to determine the fair values of our in-process research and development. This approach calculates fair value by estimating the after-tax cash flows attributable to an in-process project over its useful life and then discounting these after-tax cash flows back to a present value. We base our revenue assumptions on estimates of relevant market sizes, expected market growth rates, expected trends in technology and expected levels of market share. In arriving at the value of the in-process projects, we consider, among other factors: the in-process projects’ stage of completion; the complexity of the work completed as of the acquisition date; the costs already incurred; the projected costs to complete; the contribution of other acquired assets; the expected regulatory path and introduction dates by region; and the estimated useful life of the technology. We apply a market-participant risk-adjusted discount rate to arrive at a present value as of the date of acquisition. See Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for more information related to indefinite-lived intangibles, including in-process research and development during 2014, 2013, and 2012.
	For asset purchases outside of business combinations, we expense any purchased research and development assets as of the acquisition date.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Intangible Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Amortization and Impairment of Intangible Assets
	We record intangible assets at historical cost and amortize them over their estimated useful lives. We use a straight-line method of amortization, unless a method that better reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible asset are consumed or otherwise used up can be reliably determined. The approximate useful lives for amortization of our intangible assets are as follows: patents and licenses, two to 20 years; definite-lived technology-related, five to 25 years; customer relationships, five to 25 years; other intangible assets, various.
	We review intangible assets subject to amortization quarterly to determine if any adverse conditions exist or a change in circumstances has occurred that would indicate impairment or a change in the remaining useful life. Conditions that may indicate impairment include, but are not limited to, a significant adverse change in legal factors or business climate that could affect the value of an asset, a product recall, or an adverse action or assessment by a regulator. If an impairment indicator exists, we test the intangible asset for recoverability. For purposes of the recoverability test, we group our amortizable intangible assets with other assets and liabilities at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows if the intangible asset does not generate cash flows independent of other assets and liabilities. If the carrying value of the intangible asset (asset group) exceeds the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the intangible asset (asset group), we will write the carrying value down to the fair value in the period identified.
	We calculate fair value of our intangible assets as the present value of estimated future cash flows we expect to generate from the asset using a risk-adjusted discount rate. In determining our estimated future cash flows associated with our intangible assets, we use estimates and assumptions about future revenue contributions, cost structures and remaining useful lives of the asset (asset group). See Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for more information related to impairments of intangible assets during 2014, 2013, and 2012.
	For patents developed internally, we capitalize costs incurred to obtain patents, including attorney fees, registration fees, consulting fees, and other expenditures directly related to securing the patent.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Goodwill, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Goodwill Valuation
	Effective as of January 1, 2013, we reorganized our business from geographic regions to fully operationalized global business units. Our reorganization changed our reporting structure and changed the composition of our reporting units for goodwill impairment testing purposes. Following the reorganization, based on information regularly reviewed by our chief operating decision maker, we have three new global reportable segments consisting of: Cardiovascular, Rhythm Management, and MedSurg. We determined our new global reporting units by identifying our operating segments and assessing whether any components of these segments constituted a business for which discrete financial information is available and whether segment management regularly reviews the operating results of any components. Through this process, we identified the following new global reporting units as of January 1, 2013: Interventional Cardiology, Peripheral Interventions, Cardiac Rhythm Management, Electrophysiology, Endoscopy, Urology and Women's Health, and Neuromodulation. The discussion below for 2014 and 2013 relates to our global business reporting units and for 2012 relates to our former regional reporting units.
	We allocate any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination to goodwill. We test our goodwill balances during the second quarter of each year for impairment, or more frequently if indicators are present or changes in circumstances suggest that impairment may exist. In performing the assessment, we utilize the two-step approach prescribed under ASC Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). The first step requires a comparison of the carrying value of the reporting units, as defined, to the fair value of these units. We assess goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level, which is defined as an operating segment or one level below an operating segment, referred to as a component. We determine our reporting units by first identifying our operating segments, and then assess whether any components of these segments constitute a business for which discrete financial information is available and where segment management regularly reviews the operating results of that component. We aggregate components within an operating segment that have similar economic characteristics. For our 2014 and 2013 annual impairment assessment we identified seven reporting units, including Interventional Cardiology, Peripheral Interventions, Cardiac Rhythm Management, Electrophysiology, Endoscopy, Urology and Women's Health and Neuromodulation. For our 2012 impairment assessments, we identified six reporting units within the U.S., including our CRM, Neuromodulation, Endoscopy, Urology and Women's Health, Electrophysiology, and Cardiovascular (consisting of Interventional Cardiology and Peripheral Interventions) franchises, which in aggregate comprised the U.S. reportable segment. In addition, we identified four international reporting units, including Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA); Japan; Asia Pacific; and the Americas.
	When allocating goodwill from business combinations to our reporting units, we assign goodwill to the reporting units that we expect to benefit from the respective business combination at the time of acquisition. In addition, for purposes of performing our goodwill impairment tests, assets and liabilities, including corporate assets, which relate to a reporting unit’s operations, and would be considered in determining its fair value, are allocated to the individual reporting units. We allocate assets and liabilities not directly related to a specific reporting unit, but from which the reporting unit benefits, based primarily on the respective revenue contribution of each reporting unit.
	During 2014, 2013, and 2012, we used only the income approach, specifically the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method, to derive the fair value of each of our reporting units in preparing our goodwill impairment assessments. This approach calculates fair value by estimating the after-tax cash flows attributable to a reporting unit and then discounting these after-tax cash flows to a present value using a risk-adjusted discount rate. We selected this method as being the most meaningful in preparing our goodwill assessments because we believe the income approach most appropriately measures our income producing assets. We have considered using the market approach and cost approach but concluded they are not appropriate in valuing our reporting units given the lack of relevant market comparisons available for application of the market approach and the inability to replicate the value of the specific technology-based assets within our reporting units for application of the cost approach. Therefore, we believe that the income approach represents the most appropriate valuation technique for which sufficient data are available to determine the fair value of our reporting units.
	In applying the income approach to our accounting for goodwill, we make assumptions about the amount and timing of future expected cash flows, terminal value growth rates and appropriate discount rates. The amount and timing of future cash flows within our DCF analysis is based on our most recent operational budgets, long range strategic plans and other estimates. The terminal value growth rate is used to calculate the value of cash flows beyond the last projected period in our DCF analysis and reflects our best estimates for stable, perpetual growth of our reporting units. We use estimates of market-participant risk-adjusted weighted average cost of capital (WACC) as a basis for determining the discount rates to apply to our reporting units’ future expected cash flows.
	If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, we then perform the second step of the goodwill impairment test to measure the amount of impairment loss, if any. If the carrying value of a reporting unit is zero or negative, we evaluate whether it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. If we determine adverse qualitative factors exist that would indicate it is more likely than not an impairment exists, we then perform the second step of the goodwill test. The second step of the goodwill impairment test compares the estimated fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill to its carrying value. If we were unable to complete the second step of the test prior to the issuance of our financial statements and an impairment loss was probable and could be reasonably estimated, we would recognize our best estimate of the loss in our current period financial statements and disclose that the amount is an estimate. We would then recognize any adjustment to that estimate in subsequent reporting periods, once we have finalized the second step of the impairment test. See Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for discussion of our goodwill impairment charges.
Equity and Cost Method Investments, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Investments in Publicly Traded and Privately Held Entities
	We account for our publicly traded investments as available-for-sale securities based on the quoted market price at the end of the reporting period. We compute realized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale securities based on the average cost method, adjusted for any other-than-temporary declines in fair value. We held no available-for-sale securities during 2014, 2013, and 2012.
	We account for investments in entities over which we have the ability to exercise significant influence under the equity method if we hold 50 percent or less of the voting stock and the entity is not a VIE in which we are the primary beneficiary in accordance with ASC Topic 323, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures. We record these investments initially at cost, and adjust the carrying amount to reflect our share of the earnings or losses of the investee, including all adjustments similar to those made in preparing consolidated financial statements. The book value of investments that we accounted for under the equity method of accounting was $10 million as of December 31, 2014 and $18 million as of December 31, 2013. We account for investments in entities in which we have less than a 20 percent ownership interest under the cost method of accounting if we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee in accordance with ASC Topic 325, Investments - Other. The aggregate carrying amount of our cost method investments was $27 million as of December 31, 2014 and $20 million as of December 31, 2013. In addition, we had notes receivable from certain companies that we account for under the cost method of $17 million as of December 31, 2014 and $13 million as of December 31, 2013, which are accounted for in accordance with ASC Topic 320, Investments - Debt and Equity Securities.
	Each reporting period, we evaluate our investments to determine if there are any events or circumstances that are likely to have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. Examples of such impairment indicators include, but are not limited to: a significant deterioration in earnings performance; recent financing rounds at reduced valuations; a significant adverse change in the regulatory, economic or technological environment of an investee; or a significant doubt about an investee’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we identify an impairment indicator, we will estimate the fair value of the investment and compare it to its carrying value. Our estimation of fair value considers all available financial information related to the investee, including valuations based on recent third-party equity investments in the investee. If the fair value of the investment is less than its carrying value, the investment is impaired and we make a determination as to whether the impairment is other-than-temporary. We deem an impairment to be other-than-temporary unless we have the ability and intent to hold an investment for a period sufficient for a market recovery up to the carrying value of the investment. Further, evidence must indicate that the carrying value of the investment is recoverable within a reasonable period. For other-than-temporary impairments, we recognize an impairment loss equal to the difference between an investment’s carrying value and its fair value. Impairment losses on our investments are included in other, net in our consolidated statements of operations.
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Income Taxes
	We utilize the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, we determine deferred tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of our assets and liabilities. We measure deferred tax assets and liabilities using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when we expect the differences to reverse. We reduce our deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if, based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that we will not realize some portion or all of the deferred tax assets. We consider relevant evidence, both positive and negative, to determine the need for a valuation allowance. Information evaluated includes our financial position and results of operations for the current and preceding years, the availability of deferred tax liabilities and tax carrybacks, as well as an evaluation of currently available information about future years.
	We have not provided U.S. income taxes and foreign withholding taxes on the undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 because we intend to permanently reinvest such earnings outside the U.S. As of December 31, 2014, the cumulative amount of excess financial reporting basis over the tax basis of investments in foreign subsidiaries that is indefinitely reinvested is approximately $7.7 billion. Generally, such amounts become subject to U.S. taxation upon the remittance of dividends and under certain other circumstances. It is not practicable to estimate the amount of deferred tax liability related to investments in these foreign subsidiaries.
	We provide for potential amounts due in various tax jurisdictions. In the ordinary course of conducting business in multiple countries and tax jurisdictions, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax outcome is uncertain. Judgment is required in determining our worldwide income tax provision. In our opinion, we have made adequate provisions for income taxes for all years subject to audit. Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, the final outcome of open tax matters may be different from that which we have reflected in our historical income tax provisions and accruals. Such differences could have a material impact on our income tax provision and operating results. See Note J - Income Taxes for further information and discussion of our income tax provision and balances.
Legal Costs, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Legal and Product Liability Costs
	In the normal course of business, we are involved in various legal and regulatory proceedings, including intellectual property, breach of contract, securities litigation and product liability suits. In some cases, the claimants seek damages, as well as other relief, which, if granted, could require significant expenditures or impact our ability to sell our products. We are also the subject of certain governmental investigations, which could result in substantial fines, penalties, and administrative remedies. We maintain an insurance policy providing limited coverage against securities claims, and we are substantially self-insured with respect to product liability claims and fully self-insured with respect to intellectual property infringement claims. We accrue anticipated costs of settlement, damages, losses for product liability claims and, under certain conditions, costs of defense, based on historical experience or to the extent specific losses are probable and estimable. Otherwise, we expense these costs as incurred. If the estimate of a probable loss is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, we accrue the minimum amount of the range. We analyze litigation settlements to identify each element of the arrangement. We allocate arrangement consideration to patent licenses received based on estimates of fair value, and capitalize these amounts as assets if the license will provide an on-going future benefit. See Note K - Commitments and Contingencies for discussion of our individual material legal proceedings.
	In accordance with ASC Topic 450, Contingencies, we accrue anticipated costs of settlement, damages, losses for product liability claims and, under certain conditions, costs of defense, based on historical experience or to the extent specific losses are probable and estimable. Otherwise, we expense these costs as incurred. If the estimate of a probable loss is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, we accrue the minimum amount of the range.
Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities or Restructurings, Policy	Costs Associated with Exit Activities
	We record employee termination costs in accordance with ASC Topic 712, Compensation - Nonretirement and Postemployment Benefits, if we pay the benefits as part of an on-going benefit arrangement, which includes benefits provided as part of our established severance policies or that we provide in accordance with international statutory requirements. We accrue employee termination costs associated with an on-going benefit arrangement if the obligation is attributable to prior services rendered, the rights to the benefits have vested, the payment is probable and we can reasonably estimate the liability. We account for employee termination benefits that represent a one-time benefit in accordance with ASC Topic 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations. We record such costs into expense over the employee’s future service period, if any.
	Other costs associated with exit activities may include contract termination costs, including costs related to leased facilities to be abandoned or subleased, consultant fees and impairments of long-lived assets. The costs are expensed in accordance with ASC Topic 420 and ASC Topic 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment and are included in restructuring charges in our consolidated statement of operations. Additionally, costs directly related to our active restructuring initiatives, including program management costs, accelerated depreciation, and costs to transfer product lines among facilities are included within costs of products sold and selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statement of operations. See Note H - Restructuring-Related Activities for further information and discussion of our restructuring plans.
Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]	Translation of Foreign Currency
	We translate all assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries from local currency into U.S. dollars using the year-end exchange rate, and translate revenues and expenses at the average exchange rates in effect during the year. We show the net effect of these translation adjustments in our consolidated financial statements as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. For any significant foreign subsidiaries located in highly inflationary economies, we would re-measure their financial statements as if the functional currency were the U.S. dollar. We did not record any highly inflationary economy translation adjustments in 2014, 2013 or 2012.
	Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in other, net in our consolidated statements of operations, net of losses and gains from any related derivative financial instruments. We recognized net foreign currency transaction losses of $18 million in 2014, $11 million in 2013, and $18 million in 2012.
Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Financial Instruments
	We recognize all derivative financial instruments in our consolidated financial statements at fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and we present assets and liabilities associated with our derivative financial instruments on a gross basis in our financial statements. In accordance with Topic 815, for those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the hedging instrument must be designated, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. The accounting for changes in the fair value (i.e. gains or losses) of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and, further, on the type of hedging relationship. Our derivative instruments do not subject our earnings or cash flows to material risk, as gains and losses on these derivatives generally offset losses and gains on the item being hedged. We do not enter into derivative transactions for speculative purposes and we do not have any non-derivative instruments that are designated as hedging instruments pursuant to Topic 815. Refer to Note E – Fair Value Measurements for more information on our derivative instruments.
	We recognize all derivative financial instruments in our consolidated financial statements at fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging. In accordance with Topic 815, for those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the hedging instrument must be designated, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. The accounting for changes in the fair value (i.e. gains or losses) of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and, further, on the type of hedging relationship. Our derivative instruments do not subject our earnings or cash flows to material risk, as gains and losses on these derivatives generally offset losses and gains on the item being hedged. We do not enter into derivative transactions for speculative purposes and we do not have any non-derivative instruments that are designated as hedging instruments pursuant to Topic 815.
Shipping and Handling Cost, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Shipping and Handling Costs
	We generally do not bill customers for shipping and handling of our products. Shipping and handling costs of $100 million in 2014, $97 million in 2013, and $105 million in 2012 are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
Research and Development Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Research and Development
	We expense research and development costs, including new product development programs, regulatory compliance and clinical research as incurred. Refer to Indefinite-lived Intangibles, including In-Process Research and Development for our policy regarding in-process research and development acquired in connection with our business combinations and asset purchases.
Pension and Other Postretirement Plans, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Employee Retirement Plans
	Following our 2006 acquisition of Guidant, we sponsor the Guidant Retirement Plan, a frozen noncontributory defined benefit plan covering a select group of current and former employees. The funding policy for the plan is consistent with U.S. employee benefit and tax-funding regulations. Plan assets, which are maintained in a trust, consist primarily of fixed-income instruments. The Guidant Retirement Plan was terminated effective December 1, 2014. The plan was partially frozen as of September 25, 1995 and completely frozen as of May 31, 2007. As a result, in general, no employees have been eligible to become a participant in the plan after September 25, 1995 and participants ceased earning additional benefits under the plan after September 25, 1995 or May 31, 2007. We expect to finalize the termination process and settle the majority of the plan’s obligations by the end of 2015. Further, we sponsor the Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan, a frozen, nonqualified defined benefit plan for certain former officers and employees of Guidant. The Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan was funded through a Rabbi Trust that contains segregated company assets used to pay the benefit obligations related to the plan. In addition, certain current and former employees of Guidant were eligible to receive a portion of their healthcare retirement benefits under a frozen defined benefit plan; this plan was terminated effective December 31, 2014.
	In addition, we maintain an Executive Retirement Plan, a defined benefit plan covering executive officers and division presidents and certain persons that may have served in these roles. Participants may retire with unreduced benefits once retirement conditions have been satisfied. We also maintain retirement plans covering certain international employees.
	We use a December 31 measurement date for these plans and record the underfunded portion as a liability, recognizing changes in the funded status through other comprehensive income (OCI).
Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Net Income (Loss) per Common Share
	We base net income (loss) per common share upon the weighted-average number of common shares and common stock equivalents outstanding during each year. Potential common stock equivalents are determined using the treasury stock method. We exclude stock options whose effect would be anti-dilutive from the calculation.

Accounting_Policies_Policies

Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities or Restructurings, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Termination benefits represent amounts incurred pursuant to our on-going benefit arrangements and amounts for “one-time” involuntary termination benefits, and have been recorded in accordance with ASC Topic 712, Compensation – Non-retirement Postemployment Benefits and ASC Topic 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations (Topic 420). We expect to record additional termination benefits related to our restructuring initiatives in 2015 when we identify with more specificity the job classifications, functions and locations of the remaining headcount to be eliminated. Other restructuring costs, which represent primarily consulting fees, are being recorded as incurred in accordance with Topic 420. Accelerated depreciation is being recorded over the adjusted remaining useful life of the related assets, and production line transfer costs are being recorded as incurred.
Legal Costs, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Legal and Product Liability Costs
	In the normal course of business, we are involved in various legal and regulatory proceedings, including intellectual property, breach of contract, securities litigation and product liability suits. In some cases, the claimants seek damages, as well as other relief, which, if granted, could require significant expenditures or impact our ability to sell our products. We are also the subject of certain governmental investigations, which could result in substantial fines, penalties, and administrative remedies. We maintain an insurance policy providing limited coverage against securities claims, and we are substantially self-insured with respect to product liability claims and fully self-insured with respect to intellectual property infringement claims. We accrue anticipated costs of settlement, damages, losses for product liability claims and, under certain conditions, costs of defense, based on historical experience or to the extent specific losses are probable and estimable. Otherwise, we expense these costs as incurred. If the estimate of a probable loss is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, we accrue the minimum amount of the range. We analyze litigation settlements to identify each element of the arrangement. We allocate arrangement consideration to patent licenses received based on estimates of fair value, and capitalize these amounts as assets if the license will provide an on-going future benefit. See Note K - Commitments and Contingencies for discussion of our individual material legal proceedings.
	In accordance with ASC Topic 450, Contingencies, we accrue anticipated costs of settlement, damages, losses for product liability claims and, under certain conditions, costs of defense, based on historical experience or to the extent specific losses are probable and estimable. Otherwise, we expense these costs as incurred. If the estimate of a probable loss is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, we accrue the minimum amount of the range.
ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures	We determine the fair value of our derivative instruments using the framework prescribed by ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, by considering the estimated amount we would receive or pay to transfer these instruments at the reporting date and by taking into account current interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, the creditworthiness of the counterparty for assets, and our creditworthiness for liabilities. In certain instances, we may utilize financial models to measure fair value. In doing so, we use inputs that include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; other observable inputs for the asset or liability; and inputs derived principally from, or corroborated by, observable market data by correlation or other means.
ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging	Financial Instruments
	We recognize all derivative financial instruments in our consolidated financial statements at fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and we present assets and liabilities associated with our derivative financial instruments on a gross basis in our financial statements. In accordance with Topic 815, for those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the hedging instrument must be designated, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. The accounting for changes in the fair value (i.e. gains or losses) of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and, further, on the type of hedging relationship. Our derivative instruments do not subject our earnings or cash flows to material risk, as gains and losses on these derivatives generally offset losses and gains on the item being hedged. We do not enter into derivative transactions for speculative purposes and we do not have any non-derivative instruments that are designated as hedging instruments pursuant to Topic 815. Refer to Note E – Fair Value Measurements for more information on our derivative instruments.
	We recognize all derivative financial instruments in our consolidated financial statements at fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging. In accordance with Topic 815, for those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the hedging instrument must be designated, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. The accounting for changes in the fair value (i.e. gains or losses) of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and, further, on the type of hedging relationship. Our derivative instruments do not subject our earnings or cash flows to material risk, as gains and losses on these derivatives generally offset losses and gains on the item being hedged. We do not enter into derivative transactions for speculative purposes and we do not have any non-derivative instruments that are designated as hedging instruments pursuant to Topic 815.

New_Accounting_Pronouncements_

New Accounting Pronouncements New Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
New Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]
ASC Update No. 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property Plant and Equipment (Topic 360) [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2014-08
	In April 2014, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity. Update No. 2014-08 changed the criteria for reporting discontinued operations and enhanced convergence of the FASB's and the International Accounting Standard Board's (IASB) reporting requirements for discontinued operations. We are required to apply this amendment, prospectively to: (1) all disposals (or classifications as held for sale) of components of an entity that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014 and interim periods within those years and (2) all businesses that, on acquisition, are classified as held for sale that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014 and interim periods within those years. The adoption of Update No. 2014-08 is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740) [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2013-11
	In July 2013, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists. Update No. 2013-11 requires that entities present an unrecognized tax benefit, or portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, as a reduction to a deferred tax asset in the financial statements for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward, with certain exceptions. We adopted Update No. 2013-11 beginning in our first quarter ended March 31, 2014. The adoption of Update No. 2013-11 did not impact our results of operations or financial position.
ASC Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2014-09
	In May 2014, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). Update No. 2014-09 provides enhancements to the quality and consistency of how revenue is reported while also improving comparability in the financial statements of companies using International Financial Reporting Standards and U.S. GAAP. The core principle requires entities to recognize revenue in a manner that depicts the transfer of goods or services to customers in amounts that reflect the consideration an entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. We are required to apply Update No. 2014-09 for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early application is not permitted. We are in the process of determining the effect, if any, that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial position or results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2014-10, Development Stage Entities (Topic 915): Elimination of Certain Financial Reporting Requirements, Including an Amendment to Variable Interest Entities Guidance in Topic 810 [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2014-10
	In June 2014, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2014-10, Development Stage Entities (Topic 915): Elimination of Certain Financial Reporting Requirements, Including an Amendment to Variable Interest Entities Guidance in Topic 810, Consolidation. The amendments remove the definition of a development stage entity from the Master Glossary of the Accounting Standards Codification, thereby removing the financial reporting distinction between development stage entities and other reporting entities. The amendments also eliminate an exception provided to development stage entities in Topic 810, Consolidation, for determining whether an entity is a variable interest entity on the basis of the amount of investment equity that is at risk. The elimination of the exception may change the consolidation analysis and disclosure requirements for a reporting entity that has an interest in an entity in the development stage. We are required to apply Update No. 2014-10 for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within those years. The adoption of Update No. 2014-10 is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2014-15
	In August 2014, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern: Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40). Update 2014-15 requires management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern every reporting period, and provide certain disclosures if management has substantial doubt about the entities ability to operate as a going concern, or an express statement if not, by incorporating and expanding upon certain principles that are currently in U.S. auditing standards. Update 2014-15 is effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. The adoption of Update No. 2014-15 is not expected to have an impact on our financial position or results of operations
ASC Update No. 2015-01, Income Statement - Extraordinary and Unusual Items [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2015-01
	In January 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-01, Income Statement - Extraordinary and Unusual Items (Subtopic 225-20). Update 2015-01 eliminates the concept of extraordinary items from GAAP, which requires an entity to separately classify, present, and disclose extraordinary events and transactions. Update 2015-01 is effective for the annual period beginning after December 15, 2015, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. The adoption of Update 2015-01 is not expected to have an impact on our financial position or results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2015-02
	In February 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis. Update 2015-02 amended the process that a reporting entity must perform to determine whether it should consolidate certain types of legal entities.  Update 2015-02 is effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2015, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. The adoption of Update 2015-02 is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.

Significant_Accounting_Policie2

Significant Accounting Policies Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Schedule of Product Warranty Liability [Table Text Block]
			Year Ended December 31,
			2014				2013			2012
	Beginning balance		$	28			$	26		$	30
	Provision		9				12			8
	Settlements/ reversals		(12		)		(10		)	(12		)
	Ending balance		$	25			$	28		$	26
Schedule of Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]
			As of December 31, 2014										As of December 31, 2013
	(in millions)		Projected				Fair value of Plan Assets			Underfunded			Projected		Fair value of Plan Assets		Underfunded
			Benefit							PBO Recognized			Benefit				PBO Recognized
			Obligation (PBO)										Obligation (PBO)
	Executive Retirement Plan		$	13			$	—		$	13		$	10	$	—	$	10
	Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)		148				140			8			120		114		6
	Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)		34				—			34			31		—		31
	Guidant Healthcare Retirement Benefit Plan (frozen)		—				—			—			3		—		3
	International Retirement Plans		90				51			39			84		52		32
			$	285			$	191		$	94		$	248	$	166	$	82
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]
				Expected Return		Rate of
		Discount		on Plan Assets		Compensation
		Rate				Increase
	Executive Retirement Plan	3.50%				3.00%
	Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)	4.00%		5.50%
	Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)	4.00%
	International Retirement Plans	1.00% - 2.20%		2.75% - 4.10%		3.00% - 6.78%
Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]
			Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)		2014				2013
	Beginning fair value		$	166			$	130
	Actual return on plan assets		26				25
	Employer contributions		16				32
	Benefits paid		(11		)		(15		)
	Net transfers in (out)		—				—
	Foreign currency exchange		(6		)		(6		)
	Ending fair value		$	191			$	166

Acquisitions_Tables

Acquisitions (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Acquisitions (Tables) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Components of Purchase Price [Table Text Block]	The components of the aggregate preliminary purchase price for Bayer and IoGyn acquisitions are as follows (in millions):
	Cash, net of cash acquired	$	479
	Fair value of prior interests	31
		$	510
Business Combination, Purchase Price Allocation Schedule [Table Text Block]	The components of the aggregate purchase price for the acquisitions consummated in 2012 are as follows (in millions):
	Cash, net of cash acquired	$	367
	Fair value of contingent consideration	467
	Fair value of prior interests	79
	Fair value of debt assumed	9
		$	922
	The following summarizes the aggregate purchase price allocation for the 2013 acquisition (in millions):
	Goodwill	$	140
	Amortizable intangible assets	112
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets	—
	Other net assets	19
	Deferred income taxes	3
		$	274
	The components of the aggregate preliminary purchase price for the acquisition consummated in 2013 are as follows (in millions):
	Cash, net of cash acquired	$	274
	Fair value of contingent consideration	—
	Fair value of prior interests	—
	Fair value of debt assumed	—
		$	274
	The following summarizes the aggregate preliminary purchase price allocation for Bayer and IoGyn as of December 31, 2014:
	Goodwill	$	210
	Amortizable intangible assets	263
	Inventory	23
	Property, Plant and Equipment	17
	Prepaid Transaction Service Agreement	5
	Other net assets	(1		)
	Deferred income taxes	(7		)
		$	510
	The following summarizes the aggregate purchase price allocation for the 2012 acquisitions (in millions):
	Goodwill (non-deductible for tax purposes)	$	566
	Amortizable intangible assets	189
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets	132
	Other net assets	15
	Deferred income taxes	20
		$	922
Description of unobservable inputs used in Level 3 fair value measurements [Table Text Block]	The recurring Level 3 fair value measurements of our contingent consideration liability include the following significant unobservable inputs:
	Contingent Consideration Liability	Fair Value as of December 31, 2014	Valuation Technique	Unobservable Input	Range
	R&D, Regulatory and Commercialization-based Milestones	$85 million	Probability Weighted Discounted Cash Flow	Discount Rate	1.10%
				Probability of Payment	84% - 95%
				Projected Year of Payment	2015
	Revenue-based Payments	$55 million	Discounted Cash Flow	Discount Rate	11.5% - 15%
				Probability of Payment	0% - 100%
				Projected Year of Payment	2015 - 2018
		$134 million	Monte Carlo	Revenue Volatility	11% - 13%
				Risk Free Rate	LIBOR Term Structure
				Projected Year of Payment	2015 - 2018
	The nonrecurring Level 3 fair value measurements of our intangible asset impairment analysis included the following significant unobservable inputs:
	Intangible Asset	Valuation Date	Fair Value	Valuation Technique	Unobservable Input	Rate
	In-Process R&D	30-Sep-14	$16 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	16.5 - 20%
	In-Process R&D	June 30, 2014	$83 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	16.5 - 20%
	Core Technology	June 30, 2014	$8 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	15%
	In-Process R&D	March 31, 2014	$6 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	20%
	Core Technology	March 31, 2014	$64 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	15%
	In-Process R&D	June 30, 2013	$178 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	16.50%
	In-Process R&D	September 30, 2012	$26 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	20 - 25%
	In-Process R&D	June 30, 2012	$184 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	20%
Schedule of Business Acquisitions by Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Table Text Block]	Changes in our contingent consideration liability were as follows (in millions):
	Balance as of December 31, 2012	$	663
	Amounts recorded related to new acquisitions	—
	Other amounts recorded related to prior acquisitions	(1		)
	Fair value adjustment	4
	Contingent payments related to prior period acquisition	(165		)
	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	501
	Amounts recorded related to new acquisitions	3
	Other amounts recorded related to prior acquisitions	(8		)
	Fair value adjustment	(85		)
	Contingent payments related to prior period acquisition	(137		)
	Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	274
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Intangible Assets, Description	We allocated a portion of the purchase price to specific intangible asset categories as of the respective acquisition dates as follows:
		Amount				Weighted	Range of Risk-
		Assigned				Average	Adjusted Discount
		(in millions)				Amortization	Rates used in
						Period	Purchase Price
						(in years)	Allocation
	Amortizable intangible assets:
	Technology-related	$	82			10	11.50%
	Customer relationships	30				7	11.50%
		$	112
	We allocated a portion of the preliminary purchase price to specific intangible asset categories as follows:
		Amount				Weighted	Range of Risk-
		Assigned				Average	Adjusted Discount
		(in millions)				Amortization	Rates used in
						Period	Purchase Price
						(in years)	Allocation
	Amortizable intangible assets:
	Technology-related	$	233			14-Oct	14 - 18 %
	Customer Relationships	29				10	18%
	Other intangible assets	1				2	14%
		$	263
	We allocated a portion of the final purchase price to specific intangible asset categories as of the respective acquisition dates as follows:
		Amount				Weighted	Range of Risk-
		Assigned				Average	Adjusted Discount
		(in millions)				Amortization	Rates used in
						Period	Purchase Price
						(in years)	Allocation
	Amortizable intangible assets:
	Technology-related	$	187			8	14 - 28%
	Customer relationships	2				5	14%
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets:
	In-process research and development	132					14 - 28%
		$	321

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_1

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Intangible Assets and Goodwill [Table Text Block]
			As of December 31, 2014							As of December 31, 2013
			Gross Carrying				Accumulated			Gross Carrying			Accumulated
							Amortization/						Amortization/
	(in millions)		Amount				Write-offs			Amount			Write-offs
	Amortizable intangible assets
	Technology-related		$	8,406			$	(3,697	)	$	8,272		$	(3,342	)
	Patents		519				(342		)	513			(326		)
	Other intangible assets		875				(533		)	845			(479		)
			$	9,800			$	(4,572	)	$	9,630		$	(4,147	)
	Unamortizable intangible assets
	Goodwill		$	15,798			$	(9,900	)	$	15,593		$	(9,900	)
	Technology-related		197				—			197			—
			$	15,995			$	(9,900	)	$	15,790		$	(9,900	)
Schedule of Goodwill [Table Text Block]	The following represents our goodwill balance by new global reportable segment. We restated the prior period information to conform to the current presentation:
	(in millions)		Cardiovascular				Rhythm Management			MedSurg			Total
	Balance as of December 31, 2012		$	3,249			$	577		$	2,147		$	5,973
	Purchase price adjustments		3				—			—			3
	Goodwill acquired		—				140			—			140
	Goodwill written off		—				(423		)	—			(423		)
	Balance as of December 31, 2013		$	3,252			$	294		$	2,147		$	5,693
	Purchase price adjustments		(2		)		(4		)	(2		)	(8		)
	Goodwill acquired		169				—			44			213
	Goodwill written off		—				—			—			—
	Other changes in carrying amount*		7				$	—		(7		)	—
	Balance as of December 31, 2014		$	3,426			$	290		$	2,182		$	5,898
Asset Impairment Charges [Text Block]	The following is a rollforward of accumulated goodwill write-offs by global reportable segment:
	(in millions)		Cardiovascular				Rhythm Management			MedSurg			Total
	Accumulated write-offs as of December 31, 2012		$	(1,479	)		$	(6,537	)	$	(1,461	)	$	(9,477	)
	Goodwill written off		—				(423		)	—			(423		)
	Accumulated write-offs as of December 31, 2013		$	(1,479	)		$	(6,960	)	(1,461		)	$	(9,900	)
	Goodwill written off		—				—			—			—
	Accumulated write-offs as of December 31, 2014		$	(1,479	)		$	(6,960	)	$	(1,461	)	$	(9,900	)
Description of unobservable inputs used in Level 3 fair value measurements [Table Text Block]	The recurring Level 3 fair value measurements of our contingent consideration liability include the following significant unobservable inputs:
	Contingent Consideration Liability	Fair Value as of December 31, 2014	Valuation Technique	Unobservable Input	Range
	R&D, Regulatory and Commercialization-based Milestones	$85 million	Probability Weighted Discounted Cash Flow	Discount Rate	1.10%
				Probability of Payment	84% - 95%
				Projected Year of Payment	2015
	Revenue-based Payments	$55 million	Discounted Cash Flow	Discount Rate	11.5% - 15%
				Probability of Payment	0% - 100%
				Projected Year of Payment	2015 - 2018
		$134 million	Monte Carlo	Revenue Volatility	11% - 13%
				Risk Free Rate	LIBOR Term Structure
				Projected Year of Payment	2015 - 2018
	The nonrecurring Level 3 fair value measurements of our intangible asset impairment analysis included the following significant unobservable inputs:
	Intangible Asset	Valuation Date	Fair Value	Valuation Technique	Unobservable Input	Rate
	In-Process R&D	30-Sep-14	$16 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	16.5 - 20%
	In-Process R&D	June 30, 2014	$83 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	16.5 - 20%
	Core Technology	June 30, 2014	$8 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	15%
	In-Process R&D	March 31, 2014	$6 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	20%
	Core Technology	March 31, 2014	$64 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	15%
	In-Process R&D	June 30, 2013	$178 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	16.50%
	In-Process R&D	September 30, 2012	$26 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	20 - 25%
	In-Process R&D	June 30, 2012	$184 million	Income Approach - Excess Earnings Method	Discount Rate	20%
Schedule of Impaired Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]
			Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)		2014				2013			2012
	Technology-related		$	107			$	—		$	—
	In-process research and development		88				53			142
			$	195			53			$	142
Schedule of Expected Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]
			Estimated Amortization Expense
	Fiscal Year		(in millions)
	2015		$	470
	2016		469
	2017		467
	2018		464
	2019		460

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Measurements (Tables) [Abstract]
Gains (losses) recognized in earnings for derivatives designed as hedging instruments	The following presents the effect of our derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges under Topic 815 on our accompanying consolidated statements of operations during 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in millions):
		Amount of Pre-tax				Amount of Pre-tax				Location in Statement of
		Gain (Loss)				Gain (Loss)				Operations
		Recognized in OCI				Reclassified from
		(Effective Portion)				AOCI into Earnings
						(Effective Portion)
	Year Ended December 31, 2014
	Interest rate contracts	$	—			$	1			Interest expense
	Currency hedge contracts	227				105				Cost of products sold
		$	227			$	106
	Year Ended December 31, 2013
	Interest rate contracts	$	—			$	1			Interest expense
	Currency hedge contracts	207				36				Cost of products sold
		$	207			$	37
	Year Ended December 31, 2012
	Interest rate contracts	$	—			$	2			Interest expense
	Currency hedge contracts	95				(39		)		Cost of products sold
		$	95			$	(37	)
Classification of derivative assets and liabilities within level 2	The following are the balances of our derivative assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013:
			As of
			December 31,				December 31,
	(in millions)	Location in Balance Sheet (1)	2014				2013
	Derivative Assets:
	Designated Hedging Instruments
	Currency hedge contracts	Other current assets	$	178			$	117
	Currency hedge contracts	Other long-term assets	141				120
	Interest rate contracts	Other current assets	3				1
	Interest rate contracts	Other long-term assets	22				—
			344				238
	Non-Designated Hedging Instruments
	Currency hedge contracts	Other current assets	100				27
	Total Derivative Assets		$	444			$	265
	Derivative Liabilities:
	Designated Hedging Instruments
	Currency hedge contracts	Other current liabilities	$	1			$	13
	Currency hedge contracts	Other long-term liabilities	—				19
	Interest rate contracts	Other long-term liabilities	—				8
			1				40
	Non-Designated Hedging Instruments
	Currency hedge contracts	Other current liabilities	35				23
	Total Derivative Liabilities		$	36			$	63
	-1	We classify derivative assets and liabilities as current when the remaining term of the derivative contract is one year or less.
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis	Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis consist of the following as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013:
		As of December 31, 2014														As of December 31, 2013
	(in millions)	Level 1				Level 2				Level 3				Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	Assets
	Money market and government funds	$	151			$	—			$	—			$	151	$	38	$	—	$	—	$	38
	Currency hedge contracts	—				419				—				419		—		264		—		264
	Interest rate contracts	—				25				—				25		—		1		—		1
		$	151			$	444			$	—			$	595	$	38	$	265	$	—	$	303
	Liabilities
	Currency hedge contracts	$	—			$	36			$	—			$	36	$	—	$	55	$	—	$	55
	Accrued contingent consideration	—				—				274				274		—		—		501		501
	Interest rate contracts	—				—				—				—		—		8		—		8
		$	—			$	36			$	274			$	310	$	—	$	63	$	501	$	564
Changes in the fair value of recurring fair value measurements using Level 3 inputs	Our recurring fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) relate solely to our contingent consideration liability
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
NetGainsand LossesonDerivatives not designated as hedging instruments [Table Text Block]
	in millions														Location in Statement of
			Year Ended December 31,												Operations
			2014				2013				2012
	Gain (loss) on currency hedge contracts		$	52			$	45			$	23			Other, net
	Gain (loss) on foreign currency transaction exposures		(70		)		(56		)		(41		)		Other, net
	Net foreign currency gain (loss)		$	(18	)		$	(11	)		$	(18	)

Borrowings_and_Credit_Arrangem1

Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Tables) [Abstract]
Terms of senior notes [Table Text Block]	Our senior notes consist of the following as of December 31, 2014:
		Amount			Issuance		Maturity Date	Semi-annual
		(in millions)			Date			Coupon Rate
	November 2015 Notes	$	400		Nov-05		Nov-15	5.50%
	June 2016 Notes	600			Jun-06		Jun-16	6.40%
	January 2017 Notes	250			Nov-04		Jan-17	5.13%
	October 2018 Notes	600			Aug-13		Oct-18	2.65%
	January 2020 Notes	850			Dec-09		Jan-20	6.00%
	October 2023 Notes	450			Aug-13		Oct-23	4.13%
	November 2035 Notes	350			Nov-05		Nov-35	6.25%
	January 2040 Notes	300			Dec-09		Jan-40	7.38%
		$	3,800
Schedule of debt maturities	The debt maturity schedule for the significant components of our debt obligations as of December 31, 2014 is as follows:
	(in millions)	2015			2016			2017		2018		2019		Thereafter		Total
	Senior notes	$	400		$	600		$	250	$	600	$	—	$	1,950	$	3,800
	Term loan	—			80			80		240		—		—		400
		$	400		$	680		$	330	$	840	$	—	$	1,950	$	4,200
		Note:		The table above does not include unamortized discounts associated with our senior notes, or amounts related to interest rate contracts used to hedge the fair value of certain of our senior notes.
Summary of term loan and revolving credit facility agreement compliance with debt covenants	Our revolving credit facility agreement in place as of December 31, 2014 requires that we maintain certain financial covenants, as follows:
		Covenant		Actual as of December 31, 2014
		Requirement
	Maximum leverage ratio (1)	3.5 times		2.4 times
	Minimum interest coverage ratio (2)	3.0 times		8.2 times
	-1	Ratio of total debt to consolidated EBITDA, as defined by the credit agreement, for the preceding four consecutive fiscal quarters.
	-2	Ratio of consolidated EBITDA, as defined by the credit agreement, to interest expense for the preceding four consecutive fiscal quarters.

Leases_Tables

Leases (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Leases [Abstract]
Operating Leases of Lessee Disclosure [Table Text Block]	Future minimum rental commitments as of December 31, 2014 under all noncancelable lease agreements, including capital leases, were as follows (in millions):
	2015	$	59
	2016	51
	2017	34
	2018	25
	2019	21
	Thereafter	28
		$	218

Restructuring_Related_Activiti1

Restructuring Related Activities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Impact of restructuring costs on the accompanying financial statements	The following presents these costs by major type and line item within our accompanying consolidated statements of operations, as well as by program:
	Year Ended December 31, 2014
	(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Other				Total
		Benefits				Depreciation				Costs
	Restructuring charges	$	42			$	—			$	—			$	27			$	69
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Cost of products sold	—				—				24				—				24
	Selling, general and administrative expenses	—				5				—				19				24
		—				5				24				19				48
		$	42			$	5			$	24			$	46			$	117
	(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Other				Total
		Benefits				Depreciation				Costs
	2014 Restructuring plan	$	41			$	5			24				$	43			$	113
	2011 Restructuring plan	1				—				—				3				4
	2010 Restructuring plan	—				—				—				—				—
	Plant Network Optimization program	—				—				—				—				—
		$	42			$	5			$	24			$	46			$	117
	Year Ended December 31, 2013
	(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Net Gain on Fixed Asset Disposal				Other				Total
		Benefits				Depreciation				Costs
	Restructuring charges	$	60			$	—			$	—			$	(15	)		$	56			$	101
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Selling, general and administrative expenses	—				3				—				—				20				23
		—				3				—				—				20				23
		$	60			$	3			$	—			$	(15	)		$	76			$	124
	(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Net Gain on Fixed Asset Disposal				Other				Total
		Benefits				Depreciation				Costs
	2014 Restructuring plan	$	29			$	—			$	—			$	—			$	1			$	30
	2011 Restructuring plan	37				3				—				(15		)		75				100
	2010 Restructuring plan	—				—				—				—				—				—
	Plant Network Optimization program	(6		)		—				—				—				—				(6		)
		$	60			$	3			$	—			$	(15	)		$	76			$	124
	Year Ended December 31, 2012
	(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Fixed Asset				Other				Total
		Benefits				Depreciation				Costs				Write-offs
	Restructuring charges	$	79			$	—			$	—			$	14			$	43			$	136
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Cost of products sold	—				—				8				—				—				8
	Selling, general and administrative expenses	—				2				—				—				14				16
		—				2				8				—				14				24
		$	79			$	2			$	8			$	14			$	57			$	160
	(in millions)	Termination				Accelerated				Transfer				Fixed Asset				Other				Total
		Benefits				Depreciation				Costs				Write-offs
	2011 Restructuring plan	$	78			$	2			$	—			$	14			$	55			$	149
	2010 Restructuring plan	1				—				—				—				2				3
	Plant Network Optimization program	—				—				8				—				—				8
		$	79			$	2			$	8			$	14			$	57			$	160
Summary of accrued expenses within accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets	The following is a rollforward of the termination benefit liability associated with our 2014 Restructuring plan, 2011 Restructuring plan, 2010 Restructuring plan and Plant Network Optimization program, since the inception of the respective plan, which is reported as a component of accrued expenses included in our accompanying consolidated balance sheets:
			Restructuring Plan Termination Benefits
															Plant
															Network
	(in millions)		2014				2011				2010				Optimization				Total
	Accrued as of December 31, 2011		$	—			$	18			$	6			$	33			$	57
	Charges		—				78				1				—				79
	Cash payments		—				(60		)		(4		)		(24		)		(88		)
	Accrued as of December 31, 2012		—				36				3				9				48
	Charges		29				37				—				(6		)		60
	Cash payments		—				(61		)		—				(1		)		(62		)
	Other		—				—				(3		)		(2		)		(5		)
	Accrued as of December 31, 2013		29				12				—				—				41
	Charges		41				1				—				—				42
	Cash payments		(31		)		(9		)		—				—				(40		)
	Accrued as of December 31, 2014		$	39			$	4			$	—			$	—			$	43
Cumulative Restructuring Charges [Text Block]	The following presents these costs by major type and by plan:
	(in millions)	2014 Restructuring				2011				2010				Plant				Total
		plan				Restructuring				Restructuring				Network
						plan				plan				Optimization
	Termination benefits	$	69			$	138			$	90			$	30			$	327
	Fixed asset write-offs	—				(1		)		11				—				10
	Other	25				113				51				—				189
	Total restructuring charges	94				250				152				30				526
	Accelerated depreciation	5				5				—				22				32
	Transfer costs	24				—				—				74				98
	Other	19				34				8				—				61
	Restructuring-related expenses	48				39				8				96				191
		$	142			$	289			$	160			$	126			$	717
Amount Of Cash Paid In Period To Fully Or Partially Settle Specified Type Of Restructuring Cost [Text Block]	We made cash payments of $112 million in 2014 associated with restructuring initiatives pursuant to these plans, and have made total cash payments of $628 million related to our 2014 Restructuring plan, 2011 Restructuring plan, 2010 Restructuring plan and Plant Network Optimization program since committing to each plan. Each of these payments was made using cash generated from operations, and are comprised of the following:
	(in millions)	2014 Restructuring				2011				2010				Plant				Total
		plan				Restructuring				Restructuring				Network
						plan				plan				Optimization
	Year Ended December 31, 2014
	Termination benefits	$	31			$	9			$	—			$	—			$	40
	Transfer costs	24				—				—				—				24
	Other	38				10				—				—				48
		$	93			$	19			$	—			$	—			$	112
	Program to Date
	Termination benefits	31				$	133			$	90			$	30			$	284
	Transfer costs	24				—				—				73				97
	Other	38				154				55				—				247
		$	93			$	287			$	145			$	103			$	628
2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Impact of restructuring costs on the accompanying financial statements	he following table provides a summary of our estimates of costs associated with the 2014 Restructuring plan by major type of cost:
	Type of cost	Total estimated amount expected to
		be incurred
	Restructuring charges:
	Termination benefits	$115 million to $135 million
	Other (1)	$25 million to $35 million
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Other (2)	$110 million to $130 million
		$250 million to $300 million
	(1) Consists primarily of consultant fees and costs associated with contractual cancellations.
	(2) Comprised of other costs directly related to the 2014 Restructuring plan, including program management, accelerated depreciation, and costs to transfer product lines among facilities.
2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Impact of restructuring costs on the accompanying financial statements	The following provides a summary of our expected total costs associated with the 2011 Restructuring plan, including the Expansion, by major type of cost:
	Type of cost	Total estimated amount expected to
		be incurred
	Restructuring charges:
	Termination benefits	$138 million to $141 million
	Other (1)	$112 million
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Other (2)	$39 million
		$289 million to $292 million
2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Impact of restructuring costs on the accompanying financial statements	The following provides a summary of our costs associated with the 2010 Restructuring plan by major type of cost:
	Type of Cost	Total amount incurred
	Restructuring charges:
	Termination benefits	$90 million
	Fixed asset write-offs	$11 million
	Other (1)	$51 million
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Other (2)	$8 million
		$160 million
Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Impact of restructuring costs on the accompanying financial statements	The following provides a summary of our costs associated with the Plant Network Optimization program by major type of cost:
	Type of cost	Total amount incurred
	Restructuring charges:
	Termination benefits	$30 million
	Restructuring-related expenses:
	Accelerated depreciation	$22 million
	Transfer costs (1)	$74 million
		$126 million

Supplemental_Balance_Sheet_Inf1

Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Tables) [Abstract]
Trade accounts receivable, net
		As of
	(in millions)	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Accounts receivable	$	1,288		$	1,419
	Less: allowance for doubtful accounts	(76		)	(81		)
	Less: allowance for sales returns	(29		)	(31		)
		$	1,183		$	1,307
Rollforward of allowances for doubtful accounts
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
	Beginning balance	$	81		$	88		$	81
	Net charges to expenses	10			5			14
	Utilization of allowances	(15		)	(12		)	(7		)
	Ending balance	$	76		$	81		$	88
Inventories
		As of
	(in millions)	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Finished goods	$	649		$	598
	Work-in-process	97			90
	Raw materials	200			209
		$	946		$	897
Property, plant and equipment, net
		As of
	(in millions)	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Land	$	80		$	81
	Buildings and improvements	944			917
	Equipment, furniture and fixtures	2,633			2,461
	Capital in progress	189			211
		3,846			3,670
	Less: accumulated depreciation	2,339			2,124
		$	1,507		$	1,546
Accrued expenses
		As of
	(in millions)	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Legal reserves	$	694		$	84
	Payroll and related liabilities	512			488
	Accrued contingent consideration	158			148
	Other	586			628
		$	1,950		$	1,348
Other long-term liabilities
		As of
	(in millions)	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
	Accrued income taxes	$	1,231		$	1,283
	Legal reserves	883			523
	Accrued contingent consideration	116			353
	Other long-term liabilities	436			410
		$	2,666		$	2,569

Income_Taxes_Tables

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Taxes (Tables) [Abstract]
Tax rate
			Year Ended December 31,
			2014		2013		2012
	U.S. federal statutory income tax rate		(35.0	)%	(35.0	)%	(35.0	)%
	State income taxes, net of federal benefit		(6.5	)%	(7.9	)%	(0.2	)%
	Effect of foreign taxes		(29.1	)%	(63.4	)%	(3.7	)%
	Acquisition-related		(7.5	)%	3.5	%	—	%
	Research credit		(7.0	)%	(12.2	)%	—	%
	Valuation allowance		4	%	(12.0	)%	0.3	%
	Goodwill impairment charges		—	%	65.2	%	36.4	%
	Compensation-related		0.7	%	1.7	%	0.3	%
	Non-deductible expenses		1.9	%	9	%	(0.2	)%
	Uncertain domestic tax positions		2	%	7	%	0.8	%
	Other, net		(0.2	)%	(1.9	)%	0.3	%
			(76.7	)%	(46.0	)%	(1.0	)%
Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block]
			Year Ended December 31,
			2014				2013				2012
							(restated)				(restated)
	Beginning Balance		$	1,102			$	1,088			$	1,022
	Additions based on positions related to the current year		44				59				54
	Additions based on positions related to prior years		3				43				45
	Reductions for tax positions of prior years		(87		)		(42		)		(28		)
	Settlements with taxing authorities		(5		)		(15		)		(1		)
	Statute of limitation expirations		(10		)		(31		)		(4		)
	Ending Balance		$	1,047			$	1,102			$	1,088
Schedule of Income before Income Tax, Domestic and Foreign [Table Text Block]
			Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)		2014			2013			2012
	Domestic		$	(1,263	)	$	(774	)	$	(1,265	)
	Foreign		754			551			(2,842		)
			$	(509	)	$	(223	)	$	(4,107	)
Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]	Our deferred tax assets, deferred tax liabilities and prepaid on intercompany profit, are included in the following locations within our accompanying consolidated balance sheets (in millions):
		Location in	As of December 31,
	Component	Balance Sheet	2014			2013
	Current deferred tax asset and prepaid on intercompany profit	Deferred and prepaid income taxes	$	447		$	288
	Non-current deferred tax asset	Other long-term assets	39			42
	Deferred Tax Assets and Prepaid on Intercompany Profit		486			330
	Current deferred tax liability	Other current liabilities	2			2
	Non-current deferred tax liability	Deferred income taxes	1,214			1,402
	Deferred Tax Liabilities		1,216			1,404
	Net Deferred Tax Liabilities and Prepaid on Intercompany Profit		$	730		$	1,074
			As of December 31,
	(in millions)		2014				2013
							(restated)
	Deferred Tax Assets:
	Inventory costs and related reserves		$	46			$	50
	Tax benefit of net operating loss and credits		525				647
	Reserves and accruals		232				221
	Restructuring-related charges and purchased research and development		20				17
	Litigation and product liability reserves		556				198
	Investment write-down		4				15
	Compensation related		150				143
	Federal benefit of uncertain tax positions		178				166
	Other		36				39
			1,747				1,496
	Less valuation allowance		(450		)		(433		)
			1,297				1,063
	Deferred Tax Liabilities:
	Property, plant and equipment		67				78
	Unrealized gains and losses on derivative financial instruments		146				80
	Intangible assets		1,883				2,045
			2,096				2,203
	Net Deferred Tax Liabilities		799				1,140
	Prepaid on intercompany profit		69				66
	Total Net Deferred Tax Liabilities and Prepaid on Intercompany Profit		$	730			$	1,074
Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]
			Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)		2014			2013			2012
	Current
	Federal		$	(2	)	$	46		$	33
	State		(5		)	(9		)	—
	Foreign		111			105			139
			104			142			172
	Deferred
	Federal		(458		)	(212		)	(204		)
	State		(23		)	(17		)	(7		)
	Foreign		(13		)	(15		)	—
			(494		)	(244		)	(211		)
			$	(390	)	$	(102	)	$	(39	)

Stock_Ownership_Plans_Tables

Stock Ownership Plans (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Stock Ownership Plans [Abstract]
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Activity [Table Text Block]	Information related to shares issued or to be issued in connection with the employee stock purchase plan based on employee contributions and the range of purchase prices is as follows:
	(shares in thousands)		2014			2013			2012
	Shares issued or to be issued		2,618			3,833			3,979
	Range of purchase prices		$10.12 - $11.04			$5.01 - $7.96			$4.82 - $5.16
Schedule of Unrecognized Compensation Cost, Nonvested Awards [Table Text Block]	We expect to recognize the following future expense for awards outstanding as of December 31, 2014:
			Unrecognized				Weighted Average
			Compensation  Cost				Remaining
			(in millions)(1)				Vesting Period
							(in years)
	Stock options		$	20
	Non-vested stock awards		133
			$	153			1.3
	-1	Amounts presented represent compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures.
Market-based awards, valuation assumptions [Table Text Block]	We determined the fair value of the 2014 market-based DSU awards to be approximately $6 million and the fair values of both the 2013 and the 2012 market-based awards to be approximately $8 million. We determined these fair values based on Monte Carlo simulations as of the date of grant, utilizing the following assumptions:
			2014				2013				2012
			Awards				Awards				Awards
	Stock price on date of grant		$	13.08			$	7.39			$	6.28
	Measurement period (in years)		3				3				3
	Risk-free rate		0.66		%		0.34		%		0.38		%
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Restricted Stock Units Award Activity [Table Text Block]	Information related to non-vested stock awards during 2014, 2013 and 2012 is as follows:
			Non-Vested			Weighted Average
			Stock Award Units			Grant- Date
			(in thousands)			Fair Value
	Balance as of December 31, 2011		33,576			$	8
	Granted		17,073			6
	Vested (1)		(10,158	)		9
	Forfeited		(3,898	)		7
	Balance as of December 31, 2012		36,593			$	7
	Granted		13,913			8
	Vested (1)		(10,307	)		8
	Forfeited		(2,860	)		7
	Balance as of December 31, 2013		37,339			$	7
	Granted		7,072			13
	Vested (1)		(11,205	)		7
	Forfeited		(2,671	)		8
	Balance as of December 31, 2014		30,535			$	9
	-1	The number of restricted stock units vested includes shares withheld on behalf of employees to satisfy statutory tax withholding
Schedule of Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Table Text Block]	The following presents the impact of stock-based compensation on our consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:
			Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions, except per share data)		2014				2013				2012
	Cost of products sold		$	6			$	8			$	15
	Selling, general and administrative expenses		79				79				69
	Research and development expenses		18				18				24
			103				105				108
	Less: income tax benefit		(28		)		(29		)		(32		)
			$	75			$	76			$	76
	Net impact per common share - basic		$	0.06			$	0.06			$	0.05
	Net impact per common share - assuming dilution		$	0.06			$	0.06			$	0.05
Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]	We use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to calculate the grant-date fair value of stock options granted to employees under our stock incentive plans. We calculated the fair value for options granted during 2014, 2013 and 2012 using the following estimated weighted-average assumptions:
			Year Ended December 31,
			2014				2013				2012
	Options granted (in thousands)		4,943				1,992				4,726
	Weighted-average exercise price		$	13.02			$	7.44			$	6.23
	Weighted-average grant-date fair value		$	5.07			$	2.84			$	2.6
	Black-Scholes Assumptions
	Expected volatility		37		%		36		%		43		%
	Expected term (in years, weighted)		6				5.9				5.9
	Risk-free interest rate		1.69% - 2.09%				0.89% - 1.72%				0.95% - 1.15%
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity [Table Text Block]	Information related to stock options for 2014, 2013 and 2012 under stock incentive plans is as follows:
			Stock Options			Weighted				Weighted Average		Aggregate
			(in thousands)			Average				Remaining		Intrinsic
						Exercise Price				Contractual Life		Value
										(in years)		(in millions)
	Outstanding as of December 31, 2011		60,921			$	13
	Granted		4,726			6
	Exercised		—			—
	Cancelled/forfeited		(10,766	)		15
	Outstanding as of December 31, 2012		54,881			$	12
	Granted		1,992			7
	Exercised		(7,221	)		8
	Cancelled/forfeited		(4,760	)		21
	Outstanding as of December 31, 2013		44,892			$	12
	Granted		4,943			13
	Exercised		(4,418	)		8
	Cancelled/forfeited		(5,909	)		17
	Outstanding as of December 31, 2014		39,508			$	11			5		$	145
	Exercisable as of December 31, 2014		29,380			$	12			4		109
	Expected to vest as of December 31, 2014		9,477			10				7.9		35
	Total vested and expected to vest as of December 31, 2014		38,857			$	11			4.9		$	144

Weighted_Average_Shares_Outsta1

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share (Tables) [Abstract]
Weighted average shares outstanding
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014	2013	2012
	Weighted average shares outstanding - basic	1,324.30	1,341.20	1,406.70
	Net effect of common stock equivalents	—	—	—
	Weighted average shares outstanding - assuming dilution	1,324.30	1,341.20	1,406.70

Segment_Reporting_Tables

Segment Reporting (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Reconciliation of Revenue from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
	Net sales				(restated)			(restated)
	Interventional Cardiology	$	2,092		$	1,995		$	2,116
	Peripheral Interventions	861			805			764
	Cardiovascular	2,953			2,800			2,880
	Cardiac Rhythm Management	1,922			1,882			1,887
	Electrophysiology	228			154			145
	Rhythm Management	2,150			2,036			2,032
	Endoscopy	1,343			1,277			1,190
	Urology and Women's Health	542			505			489
	Neuromodulation	474			454			367
	MedSurg	2,359			2,236			2,046
	Net sales allocated to reportable segments	7,462			7,072			6,958
	Sales generated from business divestitures	4			58			122
	Impact of foreign currency fluctuations	(86		)	13			169
		$	7,380		$	7,143		$	7,249
Reconciliation of depreciation by reportable segment to total [Table Text Block]
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
	Depreciation expense				(restated)			(restated)
	Cardiovascular	$	120		$	111		$	107
	Rhythm Management	92			99			109
	MedSurg	75			73			75
	Depreciation expense allocated to reportable segments	287			283			291
	Impact of foreign currency fluctuations	—			(4		)	(3		)
		$	287		$	279		$	288
Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
	Income (loss) before income taxes				(restated)			(restated)
	Cardiovascular	$	767		$	665		$	685
	Rhythm Management	289			211			217
	MedSurg	746			679			590
	Operating income allocated to reportable segments	1,802			1,555			1,492
	Corporate expenses and currency exchange	(308		)	(203		)	(132		)
	Goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges and acquisition-, divestiture-, litigation-, and restructuring-related net charges	(1,357		)	(822		)	(4,833		)
	Amortization expense	(438		)	(410		)	(395		)
	Operating income (loss)	(301		)	120			(3,868		)
	Other expense, net	(208		)	(343		)	(239		)
		$	(509	)	$	(223	)	$	(4,107	)
Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated [Table Text Block]
		As of December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013
	Total assets
	Cardiovascular	$	1,501		$	1,545
	Rhythm Management	1,329			1,343
	MedSurg	982			1,026
	Total assets allocated to reportable segments	3,812			3,914
	Goodwill	5,898			5,693
	Other intangible assets, net	5,606			5,950
	All other corporate assets	1,726			1,014
		$	17,042		$	16,571
Reconciliation of sales by division and region to consolidated [Table Text Block]
		Year Ended December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
	Net sales				(restated)*			(restated)*
	Interventional Cardiology	$	2,057		$	1,997		$	2,179
	Cardiac Rhythm Management	1,912			1,886			1,908
	Endoscopy	1,323			1,280			1,239
	Peripheral Interventions	850			809			787
	Urology and Women’s Health	535			505			500
	Neuromodulation	472			453			367
	Electrophysiology	227			155			147
		7,376			7,085			7,127
	Sales generated from divested businesses	4			58			122
		$	7,380		$	7,143		$	7,249
	United States	$	3,885		$	3,743		$	3,756
	Japan	678			744			931
	Other countries	2,813			2,598			2,440
		7,376			7,085			7,127
	Sales generated from divested businesses	4			58			122
		$	7,380		$	7,143		$	7,249
Schedule of Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets in Individual Foreign Countries by Country [Table Text Block]
		As of December 31,
	(in millions)	2014			2013			2012
	Long-lived assets
	United States	$	1,002		$	998		$	1,065
	Ireland	197			240			252
	Other foreign countries	308			308			247
	Property, plant and equipment, net	1,507			1,546			1,564
	Goodwill	5,898			5,693			5,973
	Other intangible assets, net	5,606			5,950			6,289
		$	13,011		$	13,189		$	13,826

Changes_in_Other_Comprehensive1

Changes in Other Comprehensive Income (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Changes in Other Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Changes in Other Comprehensive Income [Table Text Block]	The following table provides the reclassifications out of other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013. Amounts in the chart below are presented net of tax.
	Year Ended December 31, 2014
	(in millions)	Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	Unrealized Gains/Losses on Derivative Financial Instruments	Defined Benefit Pension Items / Other	Total
	Beginning Balance	($16)	$141	($19)	$106
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	-22	145	-10	113
	(Gain)/Loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	—	-67	-8	-75
	Net current-period other comprehensive income	-22	78	-18	38
	Ending Balance	($38)	$219	($37)	$144
	Year Ended December 31, 2013
	(in millions)	Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments	Unrealized Gains/Losses on Derivative Financial Instruments	Defined Benefit Pension Items / Other	Total
	Beginning Balance	($26)	$34	($41)	($33)
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	10	130	31	171
	(Gain)/Loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	—	-23	-9	-32
	Net current-period other comprehensive income	10	107	22	139
	Ending Balance	($16)	$141	($19)	$106

Significant_Accounting_Policie3

Significant Accounting Policies Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
	reportablesegments	reportablesegments	reportingunits
		reportingunits	reportablesegments
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments	3
Number of global reporting units	7	7
International Retirement Plan - Discount Rate - Low	1.00%
International Retirement Plan - Expected Return on Plan Assets - Low	2.75%
International Retirement Plan - Discount Rate - High	2.20%
Executive Retirement Plan Discount Rate	3.50%
Rabbi Trust Assets	$14,000,000	$17,000,000
Expense related to matching contributions	63,000,000	59,000,000	63,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	285,000,000	248,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	191,000,000	166,000,000	130,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Return on Plan Assets	26,000,000	25,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer	16,000,000	32,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid	-11,000,000	-15,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Transfers Between Measurement Levels	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Changes, Benefit Obligation	-6,000,000	-6,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet	94,000,000	82,000,000
Shipping, Handling and Transportation Costs	100,000,000	97,000,000	105,000,000
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	-18,000,000	-11,000,000	-18,000,000
Equity Method Investments	10,000,000	18,000,000
Number of U.S. reporting units			6
Percent of finished goods at consignment	40.00%	40.00%
Product Warranty Accrual	25,000,000	28,000,000	26,000,000	30,000,000
Product Warranty Expense	9,000,000	12,000,000	8,000,000
Product Warranty Accrual, Payments	-12,000,000	-10,000,000	-12,000,000
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Deductions	-15,000,000	-12,000,000	-7,000,000
Depreciation	287,000,000	279,000,000	288,000,000
Accounts receivable 180 days past due	26,000,000
Accounts receivable 365 days past due	11,000,000
Number of international reporting units			4
Cost Method Investments	27,000,000	20,000,000
Notes receivable from portfolio companies	17,000,000	13,000,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Undistributed Foreign Earnings	7,700,000,000
Executive Retirement Plan Rate of Compensation Increase	3.00%
Guidant Retirement Plan Discount Rate	4.00%
Guidant Retirement Plan Expected Return in Plan Assets	5.50%
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan Discount Rate	4.00%
International Retirement Plan - Expected Return on Plan Assets - High	4.10%
Concentration Risk, Customer	0	0	0
Executive retirement plan [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	13,000,000	10,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet	13,000,000	10,000,000
Guidant retirement plan [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	148,000,000	120,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	140,000,000	114,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet	8,000,000	6,000,000
Guidant supplement retirement plan [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	34,000,000	31,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet	34,000,000	31,000,000
Guidant healthcare retirement benefit plan [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	0	3,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet	0	3,000,000
International retirement plans [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	90,000,000	84,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	51,000,000	52,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet	$39,000,000	$32,000,000
Low end of range [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
International Retirement Plan Rate of Compensation Increase	3.00%
Minimum [Member] | Building and Building Improvements [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	20 years
Minimum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	3 years
Minimum [Member] | Patents [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	2 years
Minimum [Member] | Technology-related [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	5 years
Minimum [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	5 years
Maximum [Member] | Building and Building Improvements [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	40 years
Maximum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	10 years
Maximum [Member] | Patents [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	20 years
Maximum [Member] | Technology-related [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	25 years
Maximum [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	25 years
High end of range [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
International Retirement Plan Rate of Compensation Increase	6.78%

Acquisitions_Details

Acquisitions (Details) (USD $)

0 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

2 Months Ended

In Millions, unless otherwise specified

Nov. 01, 2013

Dec. 04, 2012

Nov. 19, 2012

Oct. 08, 2012

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Sep. 02, 2014

7-May-14

Dec. 31, 2013

Oct. 04, 2012

Jun. 08, 2012

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Other Cost and Expense, Operating

($85)

$4

($6)

Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired

486

274

366

Maximum future contingent consideration for acquisitions completed after January 1, 2009

1,908

Initial cash payments for 2012 acquisitions

367

Potential payments based on acheiving certain milestones

1,615

Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Notes Payable and Long-term Debt

0

Accrued Contingent Consideration

274

501

663

501

Fair value of contingent consideration recorded in purchase accounting

3

0

467

Contingent consideration recognized in the period

0

Adjustments to accrued contingent consideration

-8

-1

Contingent payment related to business combination

-137

-165

Payment to acquire in cash

20

125

90

Fair value of contingent consideration

0

Prior investments

0

Goodwill

5,898

5,693

5,973

5,693

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles

263

Total

510

Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Payment to acquire in cash

20

125

90

Future acquisition related consideration contingent upon the achievement of certain revenue-based milestones

300

175

90

Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Fair Value

31

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Business combination, liabilities arising from contingencies, amount recognized

467

Estimated fair value of prior equity ownership interest in Sadra and Intelect

0

Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Change in Amount of Contingent Consideration, Liability

-85

4

Initial cash payment for Cameron acquisition

150

Potential payment due upon FDA approval of S-ICD system

150

Maximum potential payment due upon achievement of certain milestones, per Cameron agreement

1,050

Payment of contingent consideration

137

165

154

Bayer and IoGyn [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired

479

Goodwill

210

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles

263

Total

510

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Inventory

23

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment

17

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Prepaid Expense and Other Assets

5

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net

-1

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Assets, Current

-7

Bayer [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired

414

IoGyn [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired

65

Remaining equity of IoGyn purchased

72.00%

Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain

19

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Minority interest owned of IoGyn

28.00%

Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred

8

2014 acquisitions (excluding Bayer and IoGyn) [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired

7

Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Asset

4

Bard EP [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Payment to acquire in cash

274

Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Payment to acquire in cash

274

BridgePoint [Member]

Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Percentage of equity acquired

100.00%

Rhythmia [Member]

Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Percentage of equity acquired

100.00%

2013 Acquisitions [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Goodwill

140

140

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles

112

112

112

Indefinite-lived intangible assets

0

0

Total

274

274

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Other Noncurrent Assets

19

19

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Assets, Current

3

3

2012 Acquisitions [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain

39

Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Notes Payable and Long-term Debt

9

Payment to acquire in cash

367

Fair value of contingent consideration

-467

Prior investments

79

Goodwill

566

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles

189

Indefinite-lived intangible assets

132

Total

922

Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Payment to acquire in cash

367

Note receivable from acquired company prior to acquisition

40

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Estimated fair value of prior equity ownership interest in Sadra and Intelect

79

Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Other Noncurrent Assets

15

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net

321

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Assets, Current

20

Vessix [Member]

Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Percentage of equity acquired

100.00%

R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member]

Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Risk-adjusted discount rate for contingent consideration

1.10%

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment

2015

R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member] | Minimum [Member]

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

contingent consideration liability, probability of payment

84.00%

R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member] | Maximum [Member]

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

contingent consideration liability, probability of payment

95.00%

Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired

233

Customer Contracts [Member] | 2013 Acquisitions [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired

30

Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life

7 years

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Range Of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates Used In Purchase Price Allocation

11.50%

Customer Contracts [Member] | 2012 Acquisitions [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired

2

Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life

5 years

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Range Of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates Used In Purchase Price Allocation

14.00%

Technology-related [Member] | Minimum [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life

10 years

Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation

14.00%

Technology-related [Member] | Maximum [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life

14 years

Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation

18.00%

Technology-related [Member] | 2013 Acquisitions [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired

82

Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life

10 years

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Range Of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates Used In Purchase Price Allocation

11.50%

Technology-related [Member] | 2012 Acquisitions [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired

187

Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life

8 years

Technology-related [Member] | 2012 Acquisitions [Member] | Minimum [Member]

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Range Of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates Used In Purchase Price Allocation

14.00%

Technology-related [Member] | 2012 Acquisitions [Member] | Maximum [Member]

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Range Of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates Used In Purchase Price Allocation

28.00%

Customer Relationships [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired

29

Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life

10 years

Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation

18.00%

Other Intangible Assets [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired

1

Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life

2 years

Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation

14.00%

Purchased research and development [Member] | 2012 Acquisitions [Member]

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

In-Process Research and Development Acquired

$132

Purchased research and development [Member] | 2012 Acquisitions [Member] | Minimum [Member]

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Range Of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates Used In Purchase Price Allocation

14.00%

Purchased research and development [Member] | 2012 Acquisitions [Member] | Maximum [Member]

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Range Of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates Used In Purchase Price Allocation

28.00%

Discounted cash flow [Member] | R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member] | Minimum [Member]

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment

2015

Discounted cash flow [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Minimum [Member]

Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Risk-adjusted discount rate for contingent consideration

11.50%

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

contingent consideration liability, probability of payment

0.00%

Discounted cash flow [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Maximum [Member]

Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Risk-adjusted discount rate for contingent consideration

15.00%

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

contingent consideration liability, probability of payment

100.00%

contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment

2018

Monte Carlo [Member] | R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member] | Minimum [Member]

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment

2015

Monte Carlo [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Minimum [Member]

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

Revenue Volatility - Contingent Consideration

11.00%

Monte Carlo [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Maximum [Member]

Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]

contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment

2018

Revenue Volatility - Contingent Consideration

13.00%

Divestitures_Details

Divestitures (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Jan. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Purchase Price for Divestiture of Business	$1,500
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses			30	10	1,450
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal		12	38	15
Segment Reporting, Sales from Divested Businesses		$4	$58	$122

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_2

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended							6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
										reportablesegments		reportablesegments
												reportingunits
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill										$5,898,000,000	$5,693,000,000	$5,973,000,000		$5,898,000,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross										9,800,000,000	9,630,000,000			9,800,000,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization										-4,572,000,000	-4,147,000,000			-4,572,000,000
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss										-9,900,000,000	-9,900,000,000	-9,477,000,000		-9,900,000,000
Goodwill (Textuals) [Abstract]
Goodwill impairment charges					423,000,000		3,602,000,000		748,000,000	0	423,000,000	4,350,000,000
Goodwill, Impairment Loss, Net of Tax					421,000,000		3,579,000,000
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)										5,606,000,000	5,950,000,000	6,289,000,000		5,606,000,000
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments										-8,000,000	3,000,000
Goodwill, Acquired During Period										213,000,000	140,000,000
Goodwill, Other Changes										0
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Other intangible asset charges	12,000,000					13,000,000	129,000,000			195,000,000	53,000,000	142,000,000
Asset Impairment Charges		110,000,000	55,000,000							195,000,000	476,000,000
Goodwill, Gross										15,798,000,000	15,593,000,000			15,798,000,000
Indefinite-lived intangible assets, accumulated write-offs										-9,900,000,000	-9,900,000,000			-9,900,000,000
Indefinite-lived intangible assets, including goodwill										15,995,000,000	15,790,000,000			15,995,000,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year One										470,000,000				470,000,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Two										469,000,000				469,000,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Three										467,000,000				467,000,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Four										464,000,000				464,000,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Five										460,000,000				460,000,000
Number of Reportable Segments										3
Number of U.S. reporting units												6
Number of international reporting units												4
International goodwill as of 12/31/12 that was reallocated to global divisions												1,764,000,000
US CV goodwill as of 12/31/12 that was reallocated to IC and PI global divisions												2,380,000,000
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate								1.00%
In process research and development	16,000,000	83,000,000	6,000,000	178,000,000		26,000,000	184,000,000
Core technology		8,000,000	64,000,000
Electrophysiology [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Hypothetical change in WACC													0.50%
Hypothetical change in revenue growth rates													1.00%
Neuromodulation [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Hypothetical change in WACC													1.00%
Hypothetical change in revenue growth rates													1.50%
Cardiovascular [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill										3,426,000,000	3,252,000,000	3,249,000,000		3,426,000,000
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss										-1,479,000,000	-1,479,000,000	-1,479,000,000		-1,479,000,000
Goodwill (Textuals) [Abstract]
Goodwill impairment charges										0	0
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments										-2,000,000	3,000,000
Goodwill, Acquired During Period										169,000,000	0
Goodwill, Other Changes										7,000,000
Rhythm Management [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill										290,000,000	294,000,000	577,000,000		290,000,000
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss										-6,960,000,000	-6,960,000,000	-6,537,000,000		-6,960,000,000
Goodwill (Textuals) [Abstract]
Goodwill impairment charges										0	-423,000,000
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments										-4,000,000	0
Goodwill, Acquired During Period										0	140,000,000
Goodwill, Other Changes										0
MedSurg [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill										2,182,000,000	2,147,000,000	2,147,000,000		2,182,000,000
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss										-1,461,000,000	-1,461,000,000	-1,461,000,000		-1,461,000,000
Goodwill (Textuals) [Abstract]
Goodwill impairment charges										0	0
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments										-2,000,000	0
Goodwill, Acquired During Period										44,000,000	0
Goodwill, Other Changes										-7,000,000
Neuromodulation [Member]
Goodwill (Textuals) [Abstract]
Level Of Excess Fair Value Over Carrying Value For Reporting Unit		55.00%											55.00%
Allocated Goodwill													1,356,000,000
U.S. CRM Reporting Unit [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Fair Value Inputs, Long-term Revenue Growth Rate									2.50%
Global Electrophysiology (EP) Reporting Unit [Member]
Goodwill (Textuals) [Abstract]
Level Of Excess Fair Value Over Carrying Value For Reporting Unit		38.00%								26.00%			38.00%	26.00%
Allocated Goodwill													292,000,000
Technology-related [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross										8,406,000,000	8,272,000,000			8,406,000,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization										-3,697,000,000	-3,342,000,000			-3,697,000,000
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Other intangible asset charges										107,000,000	0	0
Patents [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross										519,000,000	513,000,000			519,000,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization										-342,000,000	-326,000,000			-342,000,000
Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross										875,000,000	845,000,000			875,000,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization										-533,000,000	-479,000,000			-533,000,000
Purchased research and development [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Other intangible asset charges										88,000,000	53,000,000	142,000,000
Global CRM Reporting Unit [Member]
Goodwill (Textuals) [Abstract]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net										4,097,000,000				4,097,000,000
Technology Core [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)										197,000,000	197,000,000			197,000,000
Indefinite-lived intangible assets, accumulated write-offs										0	0			0
Purchased research and development [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)										181,000,000	270,000,000			181,000,000
Sadra Medical Inc [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Other intangible asset charges				51,000,000
2011 Acquisitions, excluding Sadra [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Other intangible asset charges				2,000,000
In Process Research and Development [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Other intangible asset charges	4,000,000													18,000,000
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate			20.00%	16.50%			20.00%
IPR&D that was impaired [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill), Fair Value Disclosure										0				0
Core technology [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Other intangible asset charges	8,000,000
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate		15.00%	15.00%
Minimum [Member] | In Process Research and Development [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	16.50%	16.50%				20.00%
Maximum [Member] | In Process Research and Development [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	20.00%	20.00%				25.00%
Vessix Charges [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Asset Impairment Charges		67,000,000
Other In-process Research and Development Project Charges [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Asset Impairment Charges		8,000,000
Atritech Charges [Member]
Other Intangible Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]
Asset Impairment Charges		$35,000,000

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail

Fair Value Measurements (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure						$2,178	$2,564
Accrued Contingent Consideration						-274	-501	-663
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Cost Method Investments						27	20
Time Deposits, at Carrying Value						255	31
Cash						181	148
Gain (loss) related to ineffective portion of hedging relationships						-1	1
Impairment of Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)	12			13	129	195	53	142
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) Reclassified to Earnings, Net						105	36	-39
Unrealized gain on derivative financial instruments						217	139
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified During Next 12 Months						128
Foreign Currency Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments at Fair Value, Net						2,470	1,952
Notional Amount of Interest Rate Derivatives							450
Interest Rate Derivatives, at Fair Value, Net						450
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net						1	1	2
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effective Portion, Net						0	0	0
Unamortized gains on senior notes						45	54
Unamortized losses on senior notes						2	2
Unrealized gain on interest rate cash flow hedges, pretax, AOCI						2	3
Gain (loss) recognized in earnings for previously terminated interest rate swaps						9	10	11
Gain (loss) on previously terminated interest rate swaps to be reclassified within twelve months						9
Asset Impairment Charges		110	55			195	476
Debt Instrument, Fair Value Disclosure						4,613	4,602
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net						106	37	-37
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effective Portion, Net						227	207	95
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Cost of products sold [Member] | Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net						105	36	-39
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effective Portion, Net						227	207	95
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other, net [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Net gain (loss) from foreign currency transaction exposures						-70	-56	-41
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Gain (Loss), Net						52	45	23
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), Realized						-18	-11	-18
(Gain) Loss on hedged debt obligation [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Interest Expense, Other						-29	7
Loss on hedged debt obligation [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Interest Expense, Other						29	-8
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value						0	0
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value						0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Money Market Funds, at Carrying Value						0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value						0	0
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value						0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Money Market Funds, at Carrying Value						151	38
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure						419	264
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value						25	1
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure						595	303
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure						36	55
Accrued Contingent Consideration						274	501
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value						0	8
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure						310	564
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Money Market Funds, at Carrying Value						151	38
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure						0	0
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure						151	38
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure						0	0
Accrued Contingent Consideration						0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure						0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Money Market Funds, at Carrying Value							0
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure						419	264
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value						25	1
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure						444	265
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure						36	55
Accrued Contingent Consideration						0	0
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value						0	8
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure						36	63
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Money Market Funds, at Carrying Value						0	0
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure						0	0
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure						0	0
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure						0	0
Accrued Contingent Consideration						274	501
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure						$274	$501

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail1

Fair Value Measurements (Details BS Table) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Assets	$444	$265
Derivative Liabilities	36	63
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value	344	238
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value	1	40
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Asset, at Fair Value	100	27
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other Current Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Liability, at Fair Value	35	23
Currency hedge contracts [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value	178	117
Currency hedge contracts [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other Long Term Assets [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value	141	120
Currency hedge contracts [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other Current Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value	1	13
Currency hedge contracts [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other Noncurrent Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value	0	19
Interest Rate Contract [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value	3	1
Interest Rate Contract [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other Long Term Assets [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value	22	0
Interest Rate Contract [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other Noncurrent Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value	$0	$8

Borrowings_and_Credit_Arrangem2

Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Details)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended									32 Months Ended															3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Apr. 18, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Aug. 06, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Aug. 13, 2013	Aug. 13, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013
	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	Uncommitted Credit Facilities With Two Commercial Japanese Banks [Member]	Uncommitted Credit Facilities With Two Commercial Japanese Banks [Member]	Uncommitted Credit Facilities With Two Commercial Japanese Banks [Member]	Senior Notes [Member]	Unsecured Term Loan Facility [Member]	Covenant Requirement [Member]	Actual, Covenant [Member]	Credit Facility One [Member]	Credit Facility One [Member]	Unsecured Term Loan Facility [Member]	Unsecured Term Loan Facility [Member]	Uncommitted Credit Facilities With Two Commercial Japanese Banks [Member]	November 2015 Notes [Member]	June 2016 Notes [Member]	January 2017 Notes [Member]	October 2018 Notes [Member]	January 2020 Notes [Member]	October 2023 Notes [Member]	November 2035 Notes [Member]	January 2040 Notes [Member]	$600 million, Senior Note [Member]	$450 million, Senior Note [Member]	$600 million, Snr Note [Member]	$850 million, Senior Note [Member]
				USD ($)	JPY (¥)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)			USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)		USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes issued			$2,200,000,000
Repurchase rate of senior notes issued in ’09 and ’13 in event change-in-control			1.01
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities		400,000,000					400,000,000	0
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount		59,000,000	78,000,000
Schedule of debt maturities
Payments due in year two		680,000,000					600,000,000	80,000,000
Payments due in year three		330,000,000					250,000,000	80,000,000
Payments due in year four		840,000,000					600,000,000	240,000,000
Payments due in year five		0					0	0
Payments due, Thereafter		1,950,000,000					1,950,000,000	0
Payments due, Total		4,200,000,000					3,800,000,000	400,000,000
Summary of compliance with debt covenants
Maximum Leverage Ratio									3.5	2.4
Minimum interest coverage ratio									3	8.2
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Textuals) [Abstract]
Total debt		4,262,000,000	4,240,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage																6.25%						7.00%
Revolving credit facility		300,000,000										2,000,000,000
Interest Margin above LIBOR, Minimum												0.88%		1.00%
Interest Margin above LIBOR, Maximum												1.48%		1.75%
Current interest rate on revolving credit facility											1.28%
Commitment fee percentage											0.23%
Amount of exclusions from EBITDA related to existing restructuring plans												500,000,000
Restructuring charges remaining to be excluded from calculation of consolidated EBITDA											116,000,000
Amount of exclusions from EBITDA related to future litigation charges and payments												2,300,000,000
Legal payments remaining to be excluded from calculation of consolidated EBITDA											2,107,000,000
Long-term Debt, Gross														400,000,000
Senior notes		3,800,000,000	3,800,000,000													400,000,000	600,000,000	250,000,000	600,000,000	850,000,000	450,000,000	350,000,000	300,000,000	600,000,000	450,000,000
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest, Percentage Rate																								2.65%	4.13%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage																5.50%	6.40%	5.13%	2.65%	6.00%	4.13%	6.25%	7.38%
Maximum amount of proceeds from sale of finance receivables		363,000,000		175,000,000	21,000,000,000
De-recognized receivables		167,000,000	146,000,000	134,000,000		147,000,000
Average interest rate of de-recognized receivables		3.20%	3.33%
Average discounted rates of notes receivables						1.80%									1.80%
Unsecured Term Loan Facility, Interest Rate During Period													1.50%
Quarterly term-loan principal payments													20,000,000
Repayments of Debt																										600,000,000	850,000,000
Payments of Debt Extinguishment Costs	$70,000,000

Leases_Details

Leases (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Leases [Abstract]
Operating Leases, Rent Expense, Net	$76	$77	$80
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Current	59
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Two Years	51
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Three Years	34
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Four Years	25
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Five Years	21
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due Thereafter	28
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due	$218

Restructuring_Related_Activiti2

Restructuring Related Activities (Details in Narrative) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			72 Months Ended	15 Months Ended	41 Months Ended	59 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				$526
Restructuring Charges	69	101	136
Payments for Restructuring	112			628
Restructuring and Related Cost, Cost Incurred to Date	717			717	717	717	717
Restructuring Related Expenses	48	23	24
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date				191
2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date					94
Payments for Restructuring	93
Restructuring and Related Cost, Cost Incurred to Date	142			142	142	142	142
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date					48
2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date						250
Payments for Restructuring	19					287
Restructuring and Related Cost, Cost Incurred to Date	289			289	289	289	289
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date						39
2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date							152
Payments for Restructuring	0						145
Restructuring and Related Cost, Cost Incurred to Date	160			160	160	160	160
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	160			160	160	160	160
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date							8
Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				30
Payments for Restructuring	0			103
Restructuring and Related Cost, Cost Incurred to Date	126			126	126	126	126
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	126			126	126	126	126
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date				96
Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				189
Restructuring Reserve	6	8		6	6	6	6
Restructuring Charges	27	56	43
Payments for Restructuring	48			247
Restructuring Related Expenses	19	20	14
Other Restructuring [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date					25
Payments for Restructuring	38				38
Other Restructuring [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date						113
Payments for Restructuring	10					154
Other Restructuring [Member] | 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date							51
Payments for Restructuring	0						55
Other Restructuring [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				0
Payments for Restructuring	0			0
Maximum [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring plan estimated future cash outflow	285
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	300			300	300	300	300
Maximum [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring plan estimated future cash outflow	291
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	292			292	292	292	292
Minimum [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring plan estimated future cash outflow	235
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	250			250	250	250	250
Minimum [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring plan estimated future cash outflow	287
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	289			289	289	289	289
Minimum [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	$126			$126	$126	$126	$126

Restructuring_Related_Activiti3

Restructuring Related Activities (Details in Tables) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			72 Months Ended	41 Months Ended	15 Months Ended	59 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2011
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	($112)			($628)
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				526
Restructuring Charges	69	101	136
Restructuring Related Expenses	48	23	24
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	117	124	160
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date				191
2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	-19				-287
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date					250
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		100	149
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date					39
Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	126			126	126	126	126
Payments for Restructuring	0			-103
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				30
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		-6	8
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date				96
2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	-93
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date						94
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		30
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date						48
2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	160			160	160	160	160
Payments for Restructuring	0						-145
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date							152
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		0	3
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date							8
Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve	43	41	48	43	43	43	43	57
Payments for Restructuring	-40	-62	-88	-284
Other Restructuring Costs		5
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				327
Restructuring Charges	42	60	79
Restructuring Related Expenses	0	0	0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	42	60	79
Employee Severance [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve	4	12	36	4	4	4	4	18
Payments for Restructuring	-9	-61	-60		-133
Other Restructuring Costs		0
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date					138
Restructuring Charges	1	37	78
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	1	37	78
Employee Severance [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve	0	0	9	0	0	0	0	33
Payments for Restructuring	0	-1	-24	-30
Other Restructuring Costs		2
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				30
Restructuring Charges	0	-6	0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	-6	0
Employee Severance [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve	39	29	0	39	39	39	39	0
Payments for Restructuring	-31	0	0			-31
Other Restructuring Costs		0
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date						69
Restructuring Charges	41	29	0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	41	29
Employee Severance [Member] | 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	6
Payments for Restructuring	0	0	-4				-90
Other Restructuring Costs		3
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date							90
Restructuring Charges	0	0	1
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	0	1
Impairment of an asset in value [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				10
Restructuring Charges		-15	14
Restructuring Related Expenses		0	0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		-15	14
Impairment of an asset in value [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date					-1
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		-15	14
Impairment of an asset in value [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		0	0
Impairment of an asset in value [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date						0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		0
Impairment of an asset in value [Member] | 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date							11
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		0	0
Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve	6	8		6	6	6	6
Payments for Restructuring	-48			-247
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				189
Restructuring Charges	27	56	43
Restructuring Related Expenses	19	20	14
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	46	76	57
Other Restructuring [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	-10				-154
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date					113
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	3	75	55
Other Restructuring [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	0			0
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date				0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	0	0
Other Restructuring [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	-38					-38
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date						25
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	43	1
Other Restructuring [Member] | 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	0						-55
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date							51
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	0	2
Restructuring Related To Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date				61
Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	4
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date					34
Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date				0
Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	113
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date						19
Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date							8
Accelerated Depreciation [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	0	0	0
Restructuring Related Expenses	5	3	2
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	5	3	2
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date				32
Accelerated Depreciation [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	3	2
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date					5
Accelerated Depreciation [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	0	0
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date				22
Accelerated Depreciation [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	5	0
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date						5
Accelerated Depreciation [Member] | 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	0	0
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date							0
Transfer costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	-24			-97
Restructuring Charges	0	0	0
Restructuring Related Expenses	24	0	8
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	24	0	8
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date				98
Transfer costs [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	0				0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	0	0
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date					0
Transfer costs [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	0			-73
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	0	8
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date				74
Transfer costs [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	-24					-24
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	24	0
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date						24
Transfer costs [Member] | 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for Restructuring	0						0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	0	0
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date							0
Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Severance [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	30			30	30	30	30
Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Severance [Member] | 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	90			90	90	90	90
Restructuring Plan [Member] | Impairment of an asset in value [Member] | 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	11			11	11	11	11
Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	112			112	112	112	112
Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member] | 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	51			51	51	51	51
Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	39			39	39	39	39
Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member] | 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	8			8	8	8	8
Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | Accelerated Depreciation [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	22			22	22	22	22
Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | Transfer costs [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	74			74	74	74	74
Cost of products sold [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses	24		8
Cost of products sold [Member] | Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses	0		0
Cost of products sold [Member] | Accelerated Depreciation [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses	0
Cost of products sold [Member] | Impairment of an asset in value [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses			0
Cost of products sold [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses	0		0
Cost of products sold [Member] | Accelerated Depreciation [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses			0
Cost of products sold [Member] | Transfer costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses	24		8
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses	24	23	16
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] | Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses	0	0	0
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] | Impairment of an asset in value [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses		0	0
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses	19	20	14
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] | Accelerated Depreciation [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses	5	3	2
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] | Transfer costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Related Expenses	0	0	0
Minimum [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	289			289	289	289	289
Minimum [Member] | Plant Network Optimization [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	126			126	126	126	126
Minimum [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	250			250	250	250	250
Minimum [Member] | Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Severance [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	138			138	138	138	138
Minimum [Member] | Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Severance [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	115			115	115	115	115
Minimum [Member] | Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	25			25	25	25	25
Minimum [Member] | Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	110			110	110	110	110
Maximum [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	292			292	292	292	292
Maximum [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	300			300	300	300	300
Maximum [Member] | Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Severance [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	141			141	141	141	141
Maximum [Member] | Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Severance [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	135			135	135	135	135
Maximum [Member] | Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	35			35	35	35	35
Maximum [Member] | Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	$130			$130	$130	$130	$130

Supplemental_Balance_Sheet_Inf2

Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Allowance for doubtful accounts
Beginning balance	$112	$119	$116
Net (credits) charges to expenses	10	5	14
Utilization of allowances	-15	-12	-7
Ending balance	105	112	119
Trade accounts receivable, net
Accounts receivable	1,288	1,419
Less: allowance for doubtful accounts	-76	-81
Less: allowance for sales returns	-29	-31
Trade accounts receivable, net	1,183	1,307
Inventories
Finished goods	649	598
Work-in-process	97	90
Raw materials	200	209
Inventories	946	897
Property, plant and equipment, net
Land	80	81
Buildings and improvements	944	917
Equipment, furniture and fixtures	2,633	2,461
Capital in progress	189	211
Property, plant and equipment	3,846	3,670
Less: accumulated depreciation	2,339	2,124
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,507	1,546	1,564
Accrued expenses
Payroll and related liabilities	512	488
Legal reserves	694	84
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability, Current	158	148
Other	586	628
Accrued expenses	1,950	1,348
Other long-term liabilities
Accrued income taxes	1,231	1,283
Legal reserves	883	523
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability, Noncurrent	116	353
Other Long-Term Liabilities	436	410
Other long-term liabilities	2,666	2,569
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts [Member]
Allowance for doubtful accounts
Beginning balance		88	81
Net (credits) charges to expenses		5	14
Utilization of allowances		-12	-7
Ending balance	$76	$81	$88

Income_Taxes_Details_Rate_Tabl

Income Taxes (Details - Rate Table)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule of Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Line Items]
effective income tax reconciliation, compensation-related	0.70%	1.70%	0.30%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate	-35.00%	-35.00%	-35.00%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, State and Local Income Taxes	-6.50%	-7.90%	-0.20%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Foreign Income Tax Rate Differential	-29.10%	-63.40%	-3.70%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Nondeductible Expense	-7.50%	3.50%	0.00%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Tax Credits, Research	-7.00%	-12.20%	0.00%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Change in Deferred Tax Assets Valuation Allowance	4.00%	-12.00%	0.30%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Uncertain Domestic Tax Positions	2.00%	7.00%	0.80%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Other Adjustments	-0.20%	-1.90%	0.30%
Reported tax rate	-76.70%	-46.00%	-1.00%
Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Schedule of Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Nondeductible Expense, Impairment Losses	1.90%	9.00%	-0.20%
Goodwill [Member]
Schedule of Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Nondeductible Expense, Impairment Losses	0.00%	65.20%	36.40%

Income_Taxes_Income_Taxes_Deta

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance		$486,000,000	$330,000,000
Incremental tax liability asserted by IRS		1,162,000,000
Income Tax Examination, Penalties and Interest Accrued		443,000,000	402,000,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits		1,047,000,000	1,102,000,000	1,088,000,000	1,022,000,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits that Would Impact Effective Tax Rate		903,000,000	941,000,000	919,000,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Increases Resulting from Current Period Tax Positions		44,000,000	59,000,000	54,000,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Increases Resulting from Prior Period Tax Positions		3,000,000	43,000,000	45,000,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Decreases Resulting from Prior Period Tax Positions		-87,000,000	-42,000,000	-28,000,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Decreases Resulting from Settlements with Taxing Authorities		-5,000,000	-15,000,000	-1,000,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Reductions Resulting from Lapse of Applicable Statute of Limitations		-10,000,000	-31,000,000	-4,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Domestic		335,000,000	351,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Net, Current		447,000,000	288,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Net, Noncurrent		39,000,000	42,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Inventory		46,000,000	50,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards		525,000,000	647,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals		232,000,000	221,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Restructuring Charges		20,000,000	17,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Contingencies		556,000,000	198,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Impairment Losses		4,000,000	15,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Compensation and Benefits, Share-based Compensation Cost		150,000,000	143,000,000
Federal benefit of uncertain tax positions		178,000,000	166,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Other		36,000,000	39,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross		1,747,000,000	1,496,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance		450,000,000	433,000,000
Change in Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance		17,000,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Current		2,000,000	2,000,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Noncurrent		1,214,000,000	1,402,000,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Property, Plant and Equipment		67,000,000	78,000,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Derivatives		146,000,000	80,000,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Intangible Assets		1,883,000,000	2,045,000,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Other		2,096,000,000	2,203,000,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities		1,216,000,000	1,404,000,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities		799,000,000	1,140,000,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Gross		2,096,000,000	2,203,000,000
Current Federal Tax Expense (Benefit)		-2,000,000	46,000,000	33,000,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Domestic		-1,263,000,000	-774,000,000	-1,265,000,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Foreign		754,000,000	551,000,000	-2,842,000,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest		-509,000,000	-223,000,000	-4,107,000,000
Current State and Local Tax Expense (Benefit)		-5,000,000	-9,000,000	0
Current Foreign Tax Expense (Benefit)		111,000,000	105,000,000	139,000,000
Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		104,000,000	142,000,000	172,000,000
Deferred Federal Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		-458,000,000	-212,000,000	-204,000,000
Deferred State and Local Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		-23,000,000	-17,000,000	-7,000,000
Deferred Foreign Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		-13,000,000	-15,000,000	0
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		-494,000,000	-244,000,000	-211,000,000
Income tax (benefit) expense		-390,000,000	-102,000,000	-39,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Foreign		304,000,000	313,000,000
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax		21,000,000	76,000,000	70,000,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Undistributed Foreign Earnings		7,700,000,000
Free Trade Zone Regime Tax Incentive		7,000,000	6,000,000	7,000,000
Gross interest and penalties recognized in period		41,000,000
Income Tax Examination, Penalties and Interest Expense		26,000,000	22,000,000	34,000,000
Potential Reduction In Unrecognized Tax Benefits Over Next Twelve Months As Result Of Concluding Certain Matters	8,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Prepaid on Intercompany Profit		69,000,000	66,000,000
Net Deferred Tax Liabilities and Prepaid on Intercompany Profit		730,000,000	1,074,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance		$1,297,000,000	$1,063,000,000

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			78 Months Ended
	Feb. 13, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Feb. 24, 2015
			claims			lawsuits	claims
			patents			claims
						patents
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Value		$308,000,000
Accrual for legal matters that are probable and estimable			1,577,000,000	607,000,000		1,577,000,000
Litigation-related charges			1,036,000,000	221,000,000	192,000,000
Product liability lawsuits related to defibrillators or pacemakers			30			30
Suits Pending Against Guidant in Canada and Filed as Class Actions			6			6
Suits Pending Against Guidant in Canada, Pending Outcome of Two Lead Class Actions			4			4
Loss Contingency, Settlement Agreement, Consideration			3,000,000			3,000,000
Loss Contingency, Number of Defendants						92
Initial GI stent patents allegedly infringed (Pulnev and Hankh patents)			3			3
Additional Pulnev patents added to infringement suit			6			6
Individual Lawsuits Pending in Various State and Federal Jurisdictions Against Guidant			10			10
Minimum damages for Guidant breach of Merger Agreement			5,500,000,000
Total Amount Payable To Johnson And Johnson per Settlement Agreement	$600,000,000
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product assigned to one judge in state court in Massachusetts							2,500
Putative class actions in Canada, Mesh							3
Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Putative class actions in the U.S., Mesh							8
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product							25,000
Product liability cases or claims in Canada, Mesh							20
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product - United Kingdom							10

Stockholders_Equity_Details

Stockholders' Equity (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Preferred Stock, Shares Authorized	50,000,000	50,000,000
Common Stock, Shares Authorized	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000
Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share	$0.01	$0.01
Treasury Stock, Shares	248,000,000	238,000,000
Stock Repurchase Program, Remaining Authorized Repurchase Amount	$535,000,000
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount		1,000,000,000
Stock Repurchased During Period, Shares	10,000,000	51,000,000	105,000,000
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	$125,000,000	$500,000,000	$600,000,000

Stock_Ownership_Plans_Details

Stock Ownership Plans (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Feb. 24, 2014	Feb. 28, 2013	Feb. 27, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	31-May-11
	years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share Price				$13.08	$7.39	$6.28
Total Fair Value of Market Based Awards - 2012			$8
Total fair value of market based awards - 2013 Awards		8
Unrecognized Compensation Cost - Stock Options	20
Fair value of the Free Cash Flow (FCF) performance awards	5	9	7
Closing stock price at year end	$13.25	$12.02	$5.73
Target payout of Free Cash Flows (FCF) performance awards	100.00%
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Employee Stock Purchase Plans	2,618,000	3,833,000	3,979,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number	30,535,000	37,339,000	36,593,000				33,576,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	$9	$7	$7				$8
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period	7,072,000	13,913,000	17,073,000
Measurement period - market based awards - 2012 Awards	3 years
Measurement period - market based awards - 2013 Awards		3 years
Measurement period - market based awards - 2011 Awards			3 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate - 2012 Awards	0.66%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate - 2013 Awards		0.34%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	$13	$8	$6
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period	-11,205,000	-10,307,000	-10,158,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	$7	$8	$9
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Forfeited in Period	-2,671,000	-2,860,000	-3,898,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Forfeited in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	$8	$7	$7
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number	39,508,000	44,892,000	54,881,000				60,921,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross	4,943,000	1,992,000	4,726,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period	-4,418,000	-7,221,000	0
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$8	$8	$0
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Forfeitures and Expirations in Period	-5,909,000	-4,760,000	-10,766,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Forfeitures and Expirations in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$17	$21	$15
Stock-based compensation expense	103	105	108
Common Stock, Shares Authorized	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	179,000,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit from Compensation Expense	-28	-29	-32
Share-based compensation, net of tax benefit	75	76	76
compensation expense, per share - basic	$0.06	$0.06	$0.05
compensation expense, per share - diluted	$0.06	$0.06	$0.05
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$13.02	$7.44	$6.23
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	$5.07	$2.84	$2.60
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate	37.00%	36.00%	43.00%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term	6 years	5 years 10 months 24 days	5 years 10 months 24 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate, Minimum	1.69%	0.89%	0.95%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate, Maximum	2.09%	1.72%	1.15%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Total Intrinsic Value	24	24	1
Total fair value of market based awards - 2014 Awards	6
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Compensation Expense	8	7	4
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$11	$12	$12				$13
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	5 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Intrinsic Value	145
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Number	29,380,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$12
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	4 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Intrinsic Value	109
Options expected to vest	9,477,000
Options expected to vest, weighted average exercise price	$10
Options expected to vest, weighted average remaining contractual life	7 years 10 months 24 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	35
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Number	38,857,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$11
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	4 years 10 months 24 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	144
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Total Fair Value	146	80	60
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate - 2011 Awards			0.38%
Amount of employees total compensation eligible for GESOP purchase	10.00%
Global Employee Stock Purchase Plan - Exercise Amount equivalent to 85% of Fair Market Value of Common Stock at beginning or end of each offering period (whichever is less)	85.00%
Unrecognized Compensation Cost - Non-vested stock awards	133
Unrecognized Compensation Cost	153
weighted average remaining vesting period	1 year 3 months
annualweightedaverageforfeiturerate	9.00%
Nonqualified Options Vesting Period	4 years
Nonqualified Options Contractual Life	10 years
voting power of all classes of stock	10.00%
Exercise price of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant	110.00%
Qualified options expire over a period not to exceed	5 years
Qualified options exercise price	$0
Qualified options vesting period	5
High end of range [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Range of the target number of performance-based DSUs awarded	150.00%
Employee stock purchase plan, purchase price, range	$11.04	$7.96	$5.16
Minimum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Range of the target number of performance-based DSUs awarded	0.00%
Employee stock purchase plan, purchase price, range	$10.12	$5.01	$4.82
2011 LTIP Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common Stock, Shares Authorized								146,000,000
Employee Stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized	50,000,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant	20,000,000
Cost of products sold [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	6	8	15
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	79	79	69
Research and Development Expense [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$18	$18	$24

Weighted_Average_Shares_Outsta2

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding (Details)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Earnings Per Share (Textuals) [Abstract]
Excluded common stock equivalents	24	19	8
Weighted average shares outstanding
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic	1,324.30	1,341.20	1,406.70
Net effect of common stock equivalents	0	0	0
Weighted average shares outstanding - assuming dilution	1,324.30	1,341.20	1,406.70
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Earnings Per Share (Textuals) [Abstract]
Excluded common stock equivalents	12	16	59

Segment_Reporting_Details

Segment Reporting (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
	reportablesegments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	$7,376	$7,085	$7,127
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,507	1,546	1,564
Total assets allocated to reportable segment	3,812	3,914
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	7,462	7,072	6,958
Impact of foreign currency fluctuations	-86	13	169
Net sales	7,380	7,143	7,249
Revenue by country at actual foreign currency rates	7,376	7,085	7,127
Segment Reporting, Sales from Divested Businesses	4	58	122
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	1,802	1,555	1,492
Amortization expense	-438	-410	-395
Operating income allocated to reportable segments	-301	120	-3,868
Income (loss) before income taxes	-509	-223	-4,107
Depreciation	287	279	288
Goodwill	5,898	5,693	5,973
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	5,606	5,950	6,289
Other assets unallocated to segments	1,726	1,014
TOTAL ASSETS	17,042	16,571
Long-Lived Assets	13,011	13,189	13,826
Segment Reporting (Textuals) [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments	3
United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,002	998	1,065
Net sales
Revenue by country at actual foreign currency rates	3,885	3,743	3,756
Japan [Member]
Net sales
Revenue by country at actual foreign currency rates	678	744	931
IRELAND
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	197	240	252
Other countries [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	308	308	247
Net sales
Revenue by country at actual foreign currency rates	2,813	2,598	2,440
Global Interventional Cardiology (IC) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	2,092	1,995	2,116
Corporate expenses and currency exchange [Member]
Net sales
Operating Income Unallocated to Segment	308	203	132
Depreciation	0	-4	-3
Special Charges [Member]
Net sales
Operating Income Unallocated to Segment	1,357	822	4,833
Amortization expense	438	410	395
Other expense, net	-208	-343	-239
Global Peripheral Interventions (PI) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	861	805	764
Cardiovascular [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets allocated to reportable segment	1,501	1,545
Depreciation allocated to reportable segments	120	111	107
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	2,953	2,800	2,880
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	767	665	685
Goodwill	3,426	3,252	3,249
Global CRM Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	1,922	1,882	1,887
Global Electrophysiology (EP) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	228	154	145
Rhythm Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets allocated to reportable segment	1,329	1,343
Depreciation allocated to reportable segments	92	99	109
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	2,150	2,036	2,032
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	289	211	217
Goodwill	290	294	577
Global Endoscopy (Endo) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	1,343	1,277	1,190
Global Urology (Uro) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	542	505	489
Global Neuromodulation (NM) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	474	454	367
MedSurg [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets allocated to reportable segment	982	1,026
Depreciation allocated to reportable segments	75	73	75
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	2,359	2,236	2,046
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	746	679	590
Goodwill	2,182	2,147	2,147
Total allocated to reportable segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation allocated to reportable segments	287	283	291
Interventional Cardiology [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	2,057	1,997	2,179
Cardiac Rhythm Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	1,912	1,886	1,908
Endoscopy [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	1,323	1,280	1,239
Peripheral Interventions [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	850	809	787
Urology / Women's Health [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	535	505	500
Neuromodulation [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	472	453	367
Electrophysiology [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	$227	$155	$147

Changes_in_Other_Comprehensive2

Changes in Other Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Changes in Other Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax	($38)	($16)	($26)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Cumulative Changes in Net Gain (Loss) from Cash Flow Hedges and Treasury Locks, Effect Net of Tax	219	141	34
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net of Tax	-37	-19	41
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	144	106	-33
Cumulative Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax, Period Increase (Decrease)	-22	10
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Arising During Period, Before Reclassifications, Net of Tax	145	130
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, before Reclassification Adjustments, Net of Tax	-10	31
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Amortization, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Prior Service Cost Recognized in Net Periodic Pension Cost, Net of Tax	-8	-9
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, Net of Tax	-18	22	-9
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Reclassifications, Net of Tax	113	171
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Arising During Period, Reclassified from OCI, Net of Tax	-67	-23
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassifications out of OCI, Net of Tax	-75	-32
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax	-22	10	32
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Derivatives Qualifying as Hedges, Net of Tax	78	107	82
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Arising During Period, Net of Tax		107
Other comprehensive income for defined benefits and pension items, before reclassification, tax impact	5	-15
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	38	139	105
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax	-83	-77
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Arising Reclassed from OCI, Tax	38	14
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Unamortized (Gain) Loss Arising During Period, Tax	$5	$6

Schedule_II_Details

Schedule II (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance	$105	$112	$119	$116
Net (credits) charges to expenses	10	5	14
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Deductions	-15	-12	-7
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Other Accounts	($2)	$0	($4)