Boston Scientific (BSX) 10-Q 4 May 16 2016 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Apr. 29, 2016
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Entity Central Index Key	885,725
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2016
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		1,356,866,856

Condensed Consolidated Statemen

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Net sales	$ 1,964	$ 1,768
Cost of products sold	573	520
Gross profit	1,391	1,248
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative expenses	716	668
Research and development expenses	210	192
Royalty expense	19	17
Amortization expense	136	113
Contingent consideration expense (benefit)	4	27
Restructuring charges	3	6
Litigation-related charges (credits)	10	193
Pension termination charges	0	8
Operating expenses	1,098	1,224
Operating income (loss)	293	24
Other income (expense):
Interest expense	(59)	(60)
Other, net	(6)	(15)
Income (loss) before income taxes	228	(51)
Income tax expense (benefit)	26	(50)
Net income (loss)	$ 202	$ (1)
Net income (loss) per common share — basic	$ (0.15)	$ 0
Net income (loss) per common share — assuming dilution	$ (0.15)	$ 0
Weighted-average shares outstanding
Basic	1,350.4	1,333.7
Assuming dilution	1,369.9	1,333.7

Condensed Consolidated Stateme3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Net income (loss)	$ 202	$ (1)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	16	(35)
Net change in unrealized gains and losses on derivative financial instruments, net of tax	(69)	28
Net change in certain retirement plans, net of tax	0	5
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	(53)	(2)
Total comprehensive income (loss)	$ 149	$ (3)

Condensed Consolidated Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 338	$ 319
Trade accounts receivable, net	1,291	1,275
Inventories	1,022	1,016
Deferred and prepaid income taxes	76	496
Other current assets	437	365
Total current assets	3,164	3,471
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,464	1,490
Goodwill	6,477	6,473
Other intangible assets, net	6,062	6,194
Other long-term assets	551	505
TOTAL ASSETS	17,718	18,133
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	253	3
Accounts payable	232	209
Accrued expenses	1,792	1,970
Other current liabilities	331	248
Total current liabilities	2,608	2,430
Long-term debt	5,424	5,674
Deferred income taxes	295	735
Other long-term liabilities	$ 2,934	$ 2,974
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity
Preferred stock, $.01 par value - authorized 50,000,000 shares, none issued and outstanding
Common stock, $.01 par value - authorized 2,000,000,000 shares - issued 1,602,133,758 shares as of March 31, 2016 and 1,594,213,786 shares as of December 31, 2015	$ 16	$ 16
Treasury stock, at cost - 247,566,270 shares as of March 31, 2016 and 247,566,270 shares as of December 31, 2015	(1,717)	(1,717)
Additional paid-in capital	16,848	16,860
Accumulated deficit	(8,725)	(8,927)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	35	88
Total stockholders’ equity	6,457	6,320
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY	$ 17,718	$ 18,133

Condensed Consolidated Balance5

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet (Parenthetical) [Abstract]
Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common Stock, Shares Authorized	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000
Common Stock, Shares, Issued	1,602,133,758	1,594,213,786
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding	1,354,567,488	1,346,647,516
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share	$ 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 Stock, Shares	247,566,270	247,566,270

Condensed Consolidated Stateme6

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities	$ 116	$ (197)
Investing activities:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(60)	(46)
Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment	30	0
Purchases of privately held securities	(13)	0
Purchases of notes receivable	(5)	(3)
Payments for investments and acquisitions of certain technologies	0	(2)
Cash provided by (used for) investing activities	(48)	(51)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities [Abstract]
Payment of contingent consideration	(21)	(87)
Proceeds from borrowings on credit facilities	40	0
Payments on borrowings from credit facilities	(40)	0
Cash used to net share settle employee equity awards	(57)	(61)
Proceeds from issuances of shares of common stock	27	54
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(51)	(94)
Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash	2	(3)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	19	(345)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	319	587
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	338	242
Supplemental Information
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 28	$ 26

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	BASIS OF PRESENTATION The accompanying unaudited condensed 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-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2016 . For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in Item 8 of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. Subsequent Events We evaluate events occurring after the date of our most recent accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets for potential recognition or disclosure in our financial statements. We did not identify any material subsequent events requiring adjustment to our accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements (recognized subsequent events) for the three months ended March 31, 2016 . Those items requiring disclosure (unrecognized subsequent events) in the financial statements have been disclosed accordingly. Refer to Note I - Commitments and Contingencies for more information. Pension Termination Charges Following our 2006 acquisition of Guidant Corporation, we sponsored the Guidant Retirement Plan, a frozen noncontributory defined benefit plan covering a select group of current and former employees. The plan was partially frozen as of September 25, 1995 and completely frozen as of May 31, 2007. The plan was subsequently terminated effective December 1, 2014. During 2015, we finalized the termination process and settled the plan’s obligations, and as a result, we recorded pension termination charges of $8 million during the first quarter of 2015 and an additional $36 million during the third quarter of 2015 for a total of $44 million of pension termination charges in the year ended December 31, 2015. We do not expect to record any additional pension termination charges in 2016 related to the termination of the Guidant Retirement Plan.

Acquisitions and Strategic Inve

Acquisitions and Strategic Investments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Business Combinations [Abstract]
ACQUISITIONS AND STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS	ACQUISITIONS AND STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS We did not close any material acquisitions during the first quarter of 2016 and 2015. 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 and/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 condensed consolidated statements of operations. We recorded net expense s related to the changes in fair value of our contingent consideration liabilities of $4 million and $27 million during the first quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of 2015 , respectively. We paid contingent consideration of $63 million during the first quarter of 2016 and $99 million during the first quarter of 2015 . Changes in the fair value of our contingent consideration liabilities were as follows (in millions): Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ 246 Other amounts recorded related to prior acquisitions 1 Fair value adjustments 4 Contingent payments related to prior period acquisitions (63 ) Balance as of March 31, 2016 $ 188 As of March 31, 2016 , the maximum amount of future contingent consideration (undiscounted) that we could be required to pay was approximately $1.586 billion . Contingent consideration liabilities are remeasured to fair value each reporting period using projected revenues, discount rates, probabilities of payment and projected payment dates. The recurring Level 3 fair value measurements of our contingent consideration liabilities include the following significant unobservable inputs: Contingent Consideration Liabilities Fair Value as of March 31, 2016 Valuation Technique Unobservable Input Range R&D, regulatory and commercialization-based Milestones $20 million Discounted Cash Flow Discount Rate 2.1% - 3.7% Probability of Payment 32% - 95% Projected Year of Payment 2017 - 2021 Revenue-based Payments $62 million Discounted Cash Flow Discount Rate 11% - 15% Projected Year of Payment 2016 - 2022 $106 million Monte Carlo Revenue Volatility 15% Risk Free Rate LIBOR Term Structure Projected Year of Payment 2016 - 2018 Increases or decreases in the fair value of our contingent consideration liabilities 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 R&D, regulatory commercialization-based and revenue-based milestones. Projected contingent payment amounts related to certain R&D, regulatory and commercialization-based and certain revenue-based milestones are discounted back to the current period using a discounted cash flow (DCF) 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 together, or in isolation, may result in a significantly lower or higher fair value measurement. Strategic Investments We did not close any material strategic investments during the first quarter of 2016 and 2015. We account for certain of our strategic investments, as equity method investments, in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 323, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures. The book value of investments that we accounted for under the equity method of accounting was $184 million as of March 31, 2016 and $173 million as of December 31, 2015 . The aggregate value of our cost method investments was $46 million as of March 31, 2016 and $45 million as of December 31, 2015 . In addition we had notes receivable from certain companies that we account for under the cost method of $32 million as of March 31, 2016 and $30 million as of December 31, 2015 . As of March 31, 2016 , the book value of our equity method investments exceeded our share of the book value of the investees’ underlying net assets by approximately $100 million , which represents amortizable intangible assets and in-process research and development, corresponding deferred tax liabilities, and goodwill. During the three months ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015 , the net losses from our equity method adjustments, presented within the Other, net caption of our condensed consolidated statement of operations, were immaterial.

Goodwill and Other Intangible A

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
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 March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 are as follows: As of March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Gross Carrying Accumulated Amortization/ Gross Accumulated Amortization/ (in millions) Amount Write-offs Amount Write-offs Amortizable intangible assets Technology-related $ 8,948 $ (4,155 ) $ 8,948 $ (4,054 ) Patents 520 (362 ) 520 (358 ) Other intangible assets 1,531 (639 ) 1,529 (610 ) $ 10,999 $ (5,156 ) $ 10,997 $ (5,022 ) Unamortizable intangible assets Goodwill $ 16,377 $ (9,900 ) $ 16,373 $ (9,900 ) In-process research and development (IPR&D) 99 99 Technology-related 120 — 120 — $ 16,596 $ (9,900 ) $ 16,592 $ (9,900 ) 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. The following represents our goodwill balance by global reportable segment: (in millions) Cardiovascular Rhythm Management MedSurg Total Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ 3,451 $ 292 $ 2,730 $ 6,473 Purchase price adjustments — — 4 4 Balance as of March 31, 2016 $ 3,451 $ 292 $ 2,734 $ 6,477 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 an impairment may exist. Refer to Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets contained in Item 8 of our most recent Annual Report filed on Form 10-K for discussion of our most recent goodwill impairment test. 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, 2015 $ (1,479 ) $ (6,960 ) $ (1,461 ) $ (9,900 ) Goodwill written off — — — — Accumulated write-offs as of March 31, 2016 $ (1,479 ) $ (6,960 ) $ (1,461 ) $ (9,900 ) Intangible Asset Impairment Testing 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. We did not record any intangible asset impairment charges during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities We address market risk from changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates through a risk management program that includes the use of derivative financial instruments, and we operate the program pursuant to documented corporate risk management policies. 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 FASB ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging (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 derivative instruments, and non-derivative transactions 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. Currently or Previously Designated Foreign Currency Hedges All of our designated currency hedge contracts outstanding as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 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 (OCI) 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 $2.197 billion as of March 31, 2016 and $1.458 billion as of December 31, 2015 . We recognized net gains of $48 million in earnings on our cash flow hedges during the first quarter of 2016 , as compared to net gains of $49 million during the first quarter of 2015 . All currency cash flow hedges outstanding as of March 31, 2016 mature within 36 months. As of March 31, 2016 , $77 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, net of tax, of $145 million as of December 31, 2015 . As of March 31, 2016 , $70 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, 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 $2.257 billion as of March 31, 2016 and $2.090 billion as of December 31, 2015 . 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 floating-rate debt into fixed-rate debt or fixed-rate debt into floating-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. During the first quarter of 2015, we terminated these hedges, and we received total proceeds of approximately $35 million , which included approximately $7 million of net accrued interest receivable. We assessed at inception, and re-assessed on an ongoing basis, whether the interest rate derivative contracts were highly effective in offsetting changes in the fair value of the hedged fixed-rate debt. During the first quarter of 2015 , we recognized, in interest expense, an $8 million loss on our hedged debt and an $8 million gain on the related interest rate derivative contract. We are amortizing the gains and losses on previously terminated interest rate derivative instruments, including fixed-to-floating interest rate contracts designated as fair value hedges, and forward starting interest rate derivative contracts and treasury locks designated as cash flow hedges upon termination into earnings as a component 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 $60 million as of March 31, 2016 and $63 million as of December 31, 2015 , and unamortized losses of $1 million as of March 31, 2016 and $1 million as of December 31, 2015 related to the fixed-to-floating interest rate contracts. In addition, we had pre-tax net gains within AOCI related to terminated forward starting interest rate derivative contracts and treasury locks of $10 million as of March 31, 2016 and $10 million as of December 31, 2015 . The net gains that we recognized as a reduction of interest expense in earnings related to previously terminated interest rate derivatives were approximately $3 million during the first quarter of 2016 and $2 million during the first quarter of 2015 . As of March 31, 2016 , $13 million of pre-tax net gains may be reclassified to earnings within the next twelve months as a reduction to interest expense from amortization of our 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 the 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 actively monitoring their credit ratings and outstanding fair values on an ongoing 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 counterparty credit risk 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 unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations during the first quarter of 2016 and 2015 (in millions): Amount of Pre-tax Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI (Effective Portion) Amount of Pre-tax Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Earnings (Effective Portion) Location in Statement of Operations Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 Currency hedge contracts $ 59 $ 48 Cost of products sold $ 59 $ 48 Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 Currency hedge contracts $ 93 $ 49 Cost of products sold $ 93 $ 49 The amount of gain (loss) recognized in earnings related to the ineffective portion of hedging relationships was immaterial for all periods presented. 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 Operations Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Gain (loss) on currency hedge contracts Other, net $ (39 ) $ 23 Gain (loss) on foreign currency transaction exposures Other, net 34 (33 ) Net foreign currency gain (loss) Other, net $ (5 ) $ (10 ) 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 FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Topic 820), 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 the 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 March 31, 2016 , 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 March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 : As of March 31, December 31, (in millions) Location in Balance Sheet (1) 2016 2015 Derivative Assets: Currently or Previously Designated Hedging Instruments Currency hedge contracts Other current assets $ 101 $ 138 Currency hedge contracts Other long-term assets 34 66 135 204 Non-Designated Hedging Instruments Currency hedge contracts Other current assets 29 33 Total Derivative Assets $ 164 $ 237 Derivative Liabilities: Currently or Previously Designated Hedging Instruments Currency hedge contracts Other current liabilities $ 6 $ 1 Currency hedge contracts Other long-term liabilities 22 — 28 1 Non-Designated Hedging Instruments Currency hedge contracts Other current liabilities 62 22 Total Derivative Liabilities $ 90 $ 23 (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 March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 : March 31, 2016 As of December 31, 2015 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets Money market and government funds $ 91 $ — $ — $ 91 $ 118 $ — $ — $ 118 Currency hedge contracts — 164 — 164 — 237 — 237 $ 91 $ 164 $ — $ 255 $ 118 $ 237 $ — $ 355 Liabilities Currency hedge contracts $ — $ 90 $ — $ 90 $ — $ 23 $ — $ 23 Accrued contingent consideration — — 188 188 — — 246 246 $ — $ 90 $ 188 $ 278 $ — $ 23 $ 246 $ 269 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 unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets, in accordance with U.S. GAAP and our accounting policies. In addition to $91 million invested in money market and government funds as of March 31, 2016 , we had $15 million in short-term time deposits and $232 million in interest bearing and non-interest bearing bank accounts. In addition to $118 million invested in money market and government funds as of December 31, 2015 , we had $31 million in short-term deposits and $170 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 liabilities. Refer to Note B - Acquisitions and Strategic Investments for a discussion of the changes in the fair value of our contingent consideration liabilities. 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. Refer to Note B – Acquisitions and Strategic Investments for a discussion of our cost method investments. The fair value of our outstanding debt obligations was $6.037 billion as of March 31, 2016 and $5.887 billion as of December 31, 2015 , which was determined by using primarily quoted market prices for our publicly registered senior notes, classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy. Refer to Note E – Borrowings and Credit Arrangements for a discussion of our debt obligations.

Borrowings and Credit Arrangeme

Borrowings and Credit Arrangements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
BORROWINGS AND CREDIT ARRANGEMENTS	BORROWINGS AND CREDIT ARRANGEMENTS We had total debt of $5.677 billion as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 . The debt maturity schedule for the significant components of our debt obligations as of March 31, 2016 is as follows: (in millions) 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Thereafter Total Senior Notes $ — $ 250 $ 600 $ — $ 1,450 $ 2,350 $ 4,650 Term Loans — 85 390 150 375 — 1,000 $ — $ 335 $ 990 $ 150 $ 1,825 $ 2,350 $ 5,650 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 On April 10, 2015, we entered into a new $2.000 billion revolving credit facility (the 2015 Facility) with a global syndicate of commercial banks and terminated our previous $2.000 billion revolving credit facility. The 2015 Facility matures on April 10, 2020. Eurodollar and multicurrency loans under the 2015 Facility bear interest at LIBOR plus an interest margin of between 0.900 percent and 1.500 percent , based on our corporate credit ratings and consolidated leverage ratio ( 1.300 percent as of March 31, 2016 ). 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 commitment, regardless of usage, under the credit agreement ( 0.200 percent per year as of March 31, 2016 ). The 2015 Facility contains covenants which, among other things, require that we maintain a minimum interest coverage ratio of 3.0 times consolidated EBITDA and a maximum leverage ratio of 4.5 times consolidated EBITDA for the first four fiscal quarter-ends following the closing of the AMS Portfolio Acquisition on August 3, 2015, and decreasing to 4.25 times , 4.0 times , and 3.75 times consolidated EBITDA for the next three fiscal quarter-ends after such four fiscal quarter-ends, respectively, and then to 3.50 times for each fiscal quarter-end thereafter. There were no amounts borrowed under our current and prior revolving credit facilities as of March 31, 2016 or December 31, 2015 . Covenant Requirement Actual as of Maximum leverage ratio (1) 4.5 times 2.9 times Minimum interest coverage ratio (2) 3.0 times 7.0 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 for the 2015 Facility provides for an exclusion from the calculation of consolidated EBITDA, as defined by the credit agreement, through the credit agreement maturity, of any non-cash charges and up to $620 million in restructuring charges and restructuring-related expenses related to our current or future restructuring plans. As of March 31, 2016 , we had $547 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 not exceed $2.000 billion in the aggregate. As of March 31, 2016 , we had $1.680 billion of the combined legal and debt exclusion remaining. As of and through March 31, 2016 , we were in compliance with the required covenants. Term Loans As of March 31, 2016 , we had an aggregate of $1.000 billion outstanding under our unsecured term loan facilities and $1.000 billion outstanding as of December 31, 2015 . These facilities include an unsecured term loan facility entered into in August 2013 (2013 Term Loan) which had $250 million outstanding as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 , along with an unsecured term loan credit facility entered into in April 2015 (2015 Term Loan) which had $750 million outstanding as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 . Borrowings under the 2013 Term Loan bear interest at LIBOR plus an interest margin between 1.00 percent and 1.75 percent (currently 1.50 percent ) based on our corporate credit ratings and consolidated leverage ratio. We repaid $150 million of our 2013 Term Loan facility in 2015. As a result and in accordance with the credit agreement, the remaining outstanding balance is payable with $10 million due in the fourth quarter of 2017, $20 million due in each of the first and second quarters of 2018 and the remaining principal amount due at the final maturity date in August 2018. The 2013 Term Loan borrowings 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, consistent with the 2015 Term Loan facility. The maximum leverage ratio requirement is 4.5 times , and our actual leverage ratio as of March 31, 2016 is 2.9 times . The minimum interest coverage ratio requirement is 3.0 times , and our actual interest coverage ratio as of March 31, 2016 is 7.0 times . On April 10, 2015, we entered into a new $750 million unsecured term loan credit facility (2015 Term Loan) which matures on August 3, 2020. The 2015 Term Loan was funded on August 3, 2015 and was used to partially fund the AMS Portfolio Acquisition, including the payment of fees and expenses. Term loan borrowings under this facility bear interest at LIBOR plus an interest margin of between 1.00 percent and 1.75 percent (currently 1.50 percent ), based on our corporate credit ratings and consolidated leverage ratio. The 2015 Term Loan requires quarterly principal payments of $38 million commencing in the third quarter of 2017, and the remaining principal amount is due at the final maturity date of August 3, 2020. The 2015 Term Loan agreement requires that we comply with certain covenants, including financial covenants with respect to maximum leverage and minimum interest coverage, consistent with our revolving credit facility. The maximum leverage ratio requirement is 4.5 times , and our actual leverage ratio as of March 31, 2016 is 2.9 times . The minimum interest coverage ratio requirement is 3.0 times , and our actual interest coverage ratio as of March 31, 2016 is 7.0 times . Senior Notes We had senior notes outstanding of $4.650 billion as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 . In May 2015, we completed the offering of $1.850 billion in aggregate principal amount of senior notes consisting of $600 million in aggregate principal amount of 2.850% notes due 2020, $500 million in aggregate principal amount of 3.375% notes due 2022 and $750 million in aggregate principal amount of 3.850% notes due 2025. The net proceeds from the offering of the notes, after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses, were approximately $1.831 billion . We used a portion of the net proceeds from the senior notes offering to redeem $400 million aggregate principal amount of our 5.500% notes due November 2015 and $600 million aggregate principal amount of our 6.400% notes due June 2016. The remaining senior notes offering proceeds, together with the 2015 Term Loan, were used to fund the AMS Portfolio Acquisition. We recorded a charge of $45 million in interest expense, during the second quarter of 2015, for premiums, accelerated amortization of debt issuance costs, and investor discount costs net of interest rate hedge gains related to the early debt extinguishment. Our senior notes were issued in public offerings, 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, to the extent if borrowed by our subsidiaries and to liabilities of our subsidiaries (see Other Arrangements below). Other Arrangements We maintain a $300 million credit and security facility secured by our U.S. trade receivables maturing on June 9, 2017. 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 4.5 times , and our actual leverage ratio as of March 31, 2016 is 2.9 times . We had no borrowings outstanding under this facility as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 . We have accounts receivable factoring programs in certain European countries that we account for as sales under FASB ASC Topic 860, Transfers and Servicing. These agreements provide for the sale of accounts receivable to third parties, without recourse, of up to approximately $411 million as of March 31, 2016 . 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 $178 million of receivables as of March 31, 2016 at an average interest rate of 1.7 percent , and $151 million as of December 31, 2015 at an average interest rate of 2.4 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 21.000 billion Japanese yen (approximately $187 million as of March 31, 2016 ). We de-recognized $146 million of notes receivable and factored receivables as of March 31, 2016 at an average interest rate of 1.6 percent and $132 million of notes receivable as of December 31, 2015 at an average interest rate of 1.6 percent . De-recognized accounts and notes receivable are excluded from trade accounts receivable, net in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets. As of March 31, 2016 we had outstanding letters of credit of $43 million , as compared to $44 million as of December 31, 2015 , which consisted primarily of bank guarantees and collateral for workers' compensation insurance arrangements. As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 , none of the beneficiaries had drawn upon the letters of credit or guarantees; accordingly, we did not recognize a related liability for our outstanding letters of credit in our consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2016 or December 31, 2015 . We believe we will generate sufficient cash from operations to fund these arrangements and intend to fund these arrangements without drawing on the letters of credit.

Restructuring Related Activitie

Restructuring Related Activities	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
RESTRUCTURING-RELATED ACTIVITIES	RESTRUCTURING-RELATED ACTIVITIES On an ongoing basis, we monitor the dynamics of the economy, the healthcare industry, and the markets in which we compete. 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 and our people that we believe are essential to our long-term success. 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 were substantially completed by the end of 2015, except for certain ongoing actions associated with our PNO strategy, which we expect to be substantially completed by the end of 2016. The implementation of the 2014 Restructuring Plan will result in total pre-tax charges of approximately $255 million to $270 million , and approximately $240 million to $255 million of these charges are estimated to result in cash outlays, of which we have made payments of $212 million through March 31, 2016 . We have recorded related costs of $242 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 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 $95 million to $100 million Other (1) $30 million to $35 million Restructuring-related expenses: Other (2) $130 million to $135 million $255 million to $270 million (1) Consists primarily of consulting fees and costs associated with contract 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. We recorded net restructuring charges pursuant to our restructuring plans of $3 million in the first quarter of 2016 and $6 million in the first quarter of 2015 . In addition, we recorded expenses within other lines of our accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations related to our restructuring initiatives of $10 million in the first quarter of 2016 and $16 million in the first quarter of 2015 . The following presents these costs (credits) by major type and line item within our accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations, as well as by program: Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 (in millions) Termination Benefits Accelerated Depreciation Transfer Costs Other Total Restructuring charges $ 1 $ — $ — $ 2 $ 3 Restructuring-related expenses: Cost of products sold — — 5 — 5 Selling, general and administrative expenses — 1 — 4 5 — 1 5 4 10 $ 1 $ 1 $ 5 $ 6 $ 13 All charges incurred in the first quarter of 2016 are related to the 2014 Restructuring Plan. Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 (in millions) Termination Benefits Accelerated Depreciation Transfer Costs Other Total Restructuring charges $ 5 $ — $ — $ 1 $ 6 Restructuring-related expenses: Cost of products sold — — 8 — 8 Selling, general and administrative expenses — 1 — 7 8 — 1 8 7 16 $ 5 $ 1 $ 8 $ 8 $ 22 (in millions) Termination Benefits Accelerated Depreciation Transfer Costs Other Total 2014 Restructuring Plan $ 8 $ 1 $ 8 $ 8 $ 25 Substantially completed restructuring programs (3 ) — — — (3 ) $ 5 $ 1 $ 8 $ 8 $ 22 Termination benefits represent amounts incurred pursuant to our ongoing benefit arrangements and amounts for “one-time” involuntary termination benefits, and have been recorded in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 712, Compensation – Non-retirement Postemployment Benefits and FASB ASC Topic 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations (Topic 420). We expect to record additional termination benefits related to our restructuring initiatives throughout 2016 as we complete our 2014 Restructuring Plan. Other restructuring costs, which represent primarily consulting fees and costs related to contract cancellations, 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. As of March 31, 2016 , we incurred cumulative restructuring charges related to our 2014 Restructuring Plan of $128 million and restructuring-related costs of $114 million since we committed to the plan. The following presents these costs by major type (in millions): Termination benefits $ 97 Fixed asset write-offs — Other 31 Total restructuring charges 128 Accelerated depreciation 9 Transfer costs 60 Other 45 Restructuring-related expenses 114 $ 242 We made cash payments of $23 million in the first quarter of 2016 associated with our restructuring initiatives and as of March 31, 2016 , we had made total cash payments of $212 million related to our 2014 Restructuring Plan since committing to the plan. These payments were made using cash generated from operations, and are comprised of the following: (in millions) 2014 Restructuring Plan Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 Termination benefits $ 14 Transfer costs 5 Other 4 $ 23 Program to Date Termination benefits $ 83 Transfer costs 60 Other 69 $ 212 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, which is reported as a component of accrued expenses included in our accompanying unaudited condensed balance sheets (in millions): Accrued as of December 31, 2015 $ 29 Charges (credits) 1 Cash payments (14 ) Accrued as of March 31, 2016 $ 16 In addition to our accrual for termination benefits, we had a $4 million liability as of March 31, 2016 and a $3 million liability as of December 31, 2015 for other restructuring-related items.

Supplemental Balance Sheet Info

Supplemental Balance Sheet Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Supplemental Balance Sheet Information [Abstract]
Supplemental Balance Sheet Disclosures	SUPPLEMENTAL BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION Components of selected captions in our accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets are as follows: Trade accounts receivable, net As of (in millions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Accounts receivable $ 1,413 $ 1,394 Less: allowance for doubtful accounts (80 ) (75 ) Less: allowance for sales returns (42 ) (44 ) $ 1,291 $ 1,275 The following is a rollforward of our allowance for doubtful accounts for the first quarter of 2016 and 2015 : Three Months Ended (in millions) 2016 2015 Beginning balance $ 75 $ 76 Charges to expenses 4 2 Utilization of allowances 1 (6 ) Ending balance $ 80 $ 72 Inventories As of (in millions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Finished goods $ 700 $ 706 Work-in-process 107 102 Raw materials 215 208 $ 1,022 $ 1,016 Property, plant and equipment, net As of (in millions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Land $ 83 $ 86 Buildings and improvements 964 981 Equipment, furniture and fixtures 2,849 2,793 Capital in progress 185 202 4,081 4,062 Less: accumulated depreciation 2,617 2,572 $ 1,464 $ 1,490 Depreciation expense was $64 million for the first quarter of 2016 and $65 million for the first quarter of 2015 . Accrued expenses As of (in millions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Legal reserves $ 788 $ 773 Payroll and related liabilities 403 504 Accrued contingent consideration 86 119 Other 515 574 $ 1,792 $ 1,970 Other long-term liabilities As of (in millions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Accrued income taxes $ 1,263 $ 1,253 Legal reserves 1,107 1,163 Accrued contingent consideration 102 127 Other long-term liabilities 462 431 $ 2,934 $ 2,974 Accrued warranties We offer warranties on certain of our product offerings. The majority of our warranty liability relates to implantable devices offered by our Cardiac Rhythm Management (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 reassess the adequacy of our recorded warranty liabilities on a quarterly basis and adjust these amounts as necessary. The current portion of our warranty accrual is included in other accrued expenses in the table above and the non-current portion of our warranty accrual is included in other long-term liabilities in the table above. Changes in our product warranty accrual during the first three months of 2016 and 2015 consisted of the following (in millions): Three Months Ended 2016 2015 Beginning Balance $ 23 $ 25 Provision 4 5 Settlements/reversals (6 ) (4 ) Ending Balance $ 21 $ 26

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES Our effective tax rates from continuing operations for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015 , were 11.4% and 97.5% , respectively. The change in our reported tax rate for the first quarter of 2016 , as compared to the same period in 2015 , relates primarily to the impact of certain receipts and charges that are taxed at different rates than our effective tax rate, including acquisition-related items, contingent consideration, litigation-related and restructuring and restructuring-related items, as well as the impact of certain discrete tax items. As of March 31, 2016 , we had $1.056 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $901 million , if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2015 , we had $1.056 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $900 million , if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. We have received Notices of Deficiency from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reflecting proposed audit adjustments for Guidant Corporation for its 2001 through 2006 tax years and Boston Scientific Corporation for its 2006 and 2007 tax years. The total incremental tax liability 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 associated 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. During 2014, we received a Revenue Agent Report from the IRS reflecting significant proposed audit adjustments to our 2008, 2009, and 2010 tax years based upon the same transfer pricing methodologies that the IRS applied to our 2001 through 2007 tax years. We do not agree with the transfer pricing methodologies applied by the IRS or its resulting assessment. 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 petitions with the U.S. Tax Court contesting the Notices of Deficiency for the 2001 - 2007 tax years in challenge. We currently expect the trial in this matter to occur in the second half of 2016. Furthermore, we have submitted a letter to the IRS protesting the Revenue Agent Report for the 2008 - 2010 tax years and requesting an administrative appeal hearing. We do not believe that the IRS will hear our appeal until the Tax Court case is concluded. No payments on the net assessments would be required until the dispute is definitively resolved, which, based on experiences of other companies, could take several years. We believe our income tax reserves associated with these matters are adequate as of March 31, 2016 . However, final resolution is uncertain and could have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. We recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes as a component of income tax expense. We had $516 million accrued for gross interest and penalties as of March 31, 2016 and $500 million as of December 31, 2015 . We recognized net tax expense related to interest and penalties of $10 million during the first quarter of 2016 and $11 million during the first quarter of 2015 . 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 approximately $15 million . In November 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes . This update simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, to be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. The new guidance is effective for all public Companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. We have elected to early adopt this standard prospectively at the beginning of 2016.

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [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 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 $1.895 billion as of March 31, 2016 and $1.936 billion as of December 31, 2015 , and includes certain estimated costs of settlement, damages and defense. We recorded $10 million of litigation-related charges during the first three months of 2016 and $193 million of litigation-related charges during the first three months of 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 disclosed in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and 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, 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 August 21, 2015, the court ordered a stay pending our requests for inter partes review of all claims related to the patent before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Our requests were rejected on September 24, 2015 and October 19, 2015. On March 7, 2016, the USPTO granted our reconsideration motion and initiated an inter partes review and, on March 29, 2016, the District Court stayed the case pending a decision in the inter partes review. On October 30, 2015, a subsidiary of Boston Scientific filed suit against Edwards Lifesciences Corporation and Edwards Lifesciences Services GmbH in Düsseldorf District Court in Germany for patent infringement. We allege that Edwards’ SAPIEN 3 heart valve infringes our patent related to adaptive sealing technology. On February 25, 2016, we extended the action to allege infringement of a second patent related to adaptive sealing technology. On November 9, 2015, Edwards Lifesciences, LLC filed an invalidity claim against one of our subsidiaries, Sadra Medical, Inc., in the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division Patents Court in the United Kingdom, alleging that a European patent owned by Sadra relating to a repositionable heart valve is invalid. On January 15, 2016, we filed our defense and counterclaim for a declaration that our European patent is valid and infringed by Edwards. On February 25, 2016, we amended our counterclaim to allege infringement of a second patent related to adaptive sealing technology. On April 7, 2016, a subsidiary of Boston Scientific filed suit against Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Edwards Lifesciences LLC and Edwards Lifesciences SAS in the Grand Tribunal, Paris France for patent infringement. We allege that Edwards’ SAPIEN 3 heart valve infringes two of our patents related to adaptive sealing technology. On April 19, 2016, a subsidiary of Boston Scientific filed suit against Edwards Lifesciences Corporation in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware for patent infringement. We allege that Edwards’ SAPIEN 3 valve infringes a patent related to adaptive sealing technology. On April 19, 2016, a subsidiary of Boston Scientific filed suit against Edwards Lifesciences Corporation in the United States District Court for the Central District of California for patent infringement. We allege that Edwards’ aortic valve delivery systems infringe eight of our catheter related patents. On April 26, 2016, Edwards Lifesciences PVT, Inc. filed a patent infringement action against us and one of our subsidiaries, Boston Scientific Medizintechnik GmbH, in the District Court of Düsseldorf, Germany alleging a European patent (Spenser) owned by Edwards is infringed by our Lotus™ transcatheter heart valve system. Product Liability Litigation As of May 2, 2016 , over 36,000 product liability cases or claims related to transvaginal surgical mesh products designed to treat stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse have been asserted against us. The pending cases are 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 four putative class actions, and fewer than 15 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 3,100 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. As of May 2, 2016 , we have entered into master settlement agreements with certain plaintiffs' counsel to resolve an aggregate of approximately 11,000 cases and claims of which approximately 6,000 have been settled. Each master settlement agreement was entered into solely by way of compromise and without any admission or concession by us of any liability or wrongdoing and provides that the settlement and the distribution of settlement funds to participating claimants are conditioned upon, among other things, achieving minimum required claimant participation thresholds. If the participation thresholds under a master settlement agreement are not satisfied, we may terminate that agreement. In addition, we continue to engage in discussions with various plaintiffs’ counsel regarding potential resolution of pending cases and claims. On or about January 12, 2016, Teresa L. Stevens filed a claim against us and three other defendants asserting for herself, and on behalf of a putative class of similarly-situated women, that she was harmed by a vaginal mesh implant that she alleges contained a counterfeit or adulterated resin product that we imported from China. The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, before the same Court that is hearing the mesh MDL. The complaint, which alleges Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) violations, fraud, misrepresentation, deceptive trade practices and unjust enrichment, seeks both equitable relief and damages under state and federal law. On January 26, 2016, the Court issued an order staying the case and directing the plaintiff to submit information to allow the FDA to issue a determination with respect to her allegations. In addition, we are in contact with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, and are responding voluntarily to their requests in connection with that office’s review of the allegations concerning the use of mesh resin in the complaint. We deny the plaintiff’s allegations and intend to defend ourselves vigorously. We have established a product liability accrual for known and estimated future cases and claims asserted against us as well as with respect to the actions that have resulted in verdicts against us and the 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. While we continue to engage in discussions with plaintiffs’ counsel regarding potential resolution of pending cases and claims and intend to vigorously contest the cases and claims asserted against us; that do not settle, the final resolution of the cases and claims 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. Other Proceedings 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 January 29, 2016, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals affirmed the decision of the Montgomery County Circuit Court. On February 2, 2016, we filed a motion for reconsideration. 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. On March 15, 2016, the Court granted summary judgment in our favor as to all of plaintiffs’ claims for damages. A trial on the single remaining claim, and our counterclaim, for specific performance, is scheduled for July 8, 2016. Refer to Note H - Income Taxes for information regarding our tax litigation. Matters Concluded Since December 31, 2015 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. On February 9, 2016, the DOJ informed us that we are no longer required to retain documents and information relating to the CID. 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. On August 20, 2015, the court unsealed a qui tam lawsuit brought by a former employee named Robin Levy against the company as well as a decision by the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey declining to intervene in the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that the company violated the federal and various state false claims acts through seeking to upcode Chronic Total Occlusion (“CTO”) procedures and requiring in-patient treatment and purchases of coronary stents in order for physicians to receive training on the CTO procedure. On January 26, 2016, the Court dismissed the qui tam lawsuit. On March 18, 2015, Denise Fretter and Maria Korsgaard, claiming to represent a class of current and former female field sales employees at Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (BSNC), filed a lawsuit against BSNC in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The plaintiffs allege gender discrimination in pay, promotions and differential treatment against them and the putative class. On February 6, 2016, the parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement, and the case has been dismissed.

Weighted Average Shares Outstan

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Weighted Average Number Of Shares Outstanding [Text Block]	WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING Three Months Ended (in millions) 2016 2015 Weighted average shares outstanding - basic 1,350.4 1,333.7 Net effect of common stock equivalents 19.5 — * Weighted average shares outstanding - assuming dilution 1,369.9 1,333.7 *We generated a net loss in the first quarter of 2015 . Our weighted-average shares outstanding for earnings per share calculations exclude common stock equivalents of 24.0 million for the first quarter of 2015 due to our net loss. Weighted average shares outstanding, assuming dilution, excludes the impact of one million stock options for the first quarter of 2016 , and 10 million stock options for the first quarter of 2015 , due to the exercise prices of these stock options being greater than the average fair market value of our common stock during the period. We issued approximately eight million shares of our common stock in the first quarter of 2016 and 13 million shares of our common stock in the first quarter of 2015 , following the exercise of underlying stock options or vesting of deferred stock units, or purchases under our employee stock purchase plan. We did not repurchase any shares of our common stock during the first quarter of 2016 or 2015 .

Segment Reporting

Segment Reporting	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
SEGMENT REPORTING	SEGMENT REPORTING We have three reportable segments comprised of Cardiovascular, Rhythm Management, and MedSurg. 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. Sales generated from reportable segments, as well as operating results of reportable segments, are based on internally-derived standard currency exchange rates, which may differ from year to year, and do not include intersegment profits. As needed, we restate segment information for the prior period based on our internally-derived standard currency exchange rates used for the current period in order to remove the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuation. 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 acquisition- and divestiture-, litigation-, restructuring- and restructuring-related net charges and credits; pension termination charges; 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 unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations is as follows: Three Months Ended (in millions) 2016 2015 Net sales Interventional Cardiology $ 613 $ 541 Peripheral Interventions 264 232 Cardiovascular 877 773 Cardiac Rhythm Management 471 483 Electrophysiology 64 61 Rhythm Management 535 544 Endoscopy 365 328 Urology and Pelvic Health 243 130 Neuromodulation 125 116 MedSurg 733 574 Net sales allocated to reportable segments 2,145 1,891 Impact of foreign currency fluctuations (181 ) (123 ) $ 1,964 $ 1,768 Income (loss) before income taxes Cardiovascular $ 299 $ 236 Rhythm Management 90 78 MedSurg 239 166 Operating income allocated to reportable segments 628 480 Corporate expenses and currency exchange (134 ) (82 ) Acquisition- and divestiture-, litigation-, restructuring- and restructuring-related net charges, and pension termination charges (65 ) (261 ) Amortization expense (136 ) (113 ) Operating income (loss) 293 24 Other expense, net (65 ) (75 ) Income (loss) before income taxes $ 228 $ (51 )

Changes in Other Comprehensive

Changes in Other Comprehensive Income (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
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 three months ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015 . Amounts in the chart below are presented net of tax. Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 (in millions) Foreign currency translation adjustments Unrealized gains/losses on derivative financial instruments Defined benefit pension items / Other Total Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ (54 ) $ 152 $ (10 ) $ 88 Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 16 (38 ) (2 ) (24 ) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income — (31 ) 2 (29 ) Net current-period other comprehensive income 16 (69 ) — (53 ) Balance as of March 31, 2016 $ (38 ) $ 83 $ (10 ) $ 35 Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 (in millions) Foreign currency translation adjustments Unrealized gains/losses on derivative financial instruments Defined benefit pension items / Other Total Balance as of December 31, 2014 $ (38 ) $ 219 $ (37 ) $ 144 Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (35 ) 59 (3 ) 21 Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income — (31 ) 8 (23 ) Net current-period other comprehensive income (35 ) 28 5 (2 ) Balance as of March 31, 2015 $ (73 ) $ 247 $ (32 ) $ 142 The income tax impact of the amounts in other comprehensive income for unrealized gains and losses on derivative financial instruments before reclassifications was a benefit of $21 million in the first quarter of 2016 and an expense of $34 million in the first quarter of 2015 . The gains and losses on derivative financial instruments reclassified were reduced by income tax impacts of $17 million in the first quarter of 2016 and $18 million in the first quarter of 2015 . Refer to Note D – Fair Value Measurements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 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 reclassification was an immaterial benefit for the first quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of 2015 . The losses on defined benefit and pension related items reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income were reduced by immaterial income tax impacts in the first quarter of 2016 and by $4 million of income tax impacts in the first quarter of 2015 .

New Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]	NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies. Recently issued standards typically do not require adoption until a future effective date. Prior to their effective date, we evaluate the pronouncements to determine the potential effects of adoption on our consolidated financial statements. Standards Implemented ASC Update No. 2015-05 In April 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-05, Intangibles- Goodwill and Other - Internal -Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement. Update No. 2015-05 provides accounting guidance on how customers should treat cloud computing arrangements. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. Update No. 2015-05 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within those reporting periods. We elected to adopt the amendments prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date. The adoption of Update No. 2015-05 did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. ASC Update No. 2015-12 In July 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-12, Plan Accounting: Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Topic 960), Defined Contribution Pension Plans (Topic 962), and Health and Welfare Benefit Plans (Topic 965). Update No. 2015-12 has three parts. Part I designates contract value as the only required measure for fully benefit-responsive investment contracts. Part II simplifies the investment disclosure requirements under Topics 820, 960, 962, and 965 for employee benefits plans and Part III provides an alternative measurement date for fiscal periods that do not coincide with a month-end date. Update No. 2015-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of Update No. 2015-12 did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. ASC Update No. 2015-16 In September 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement - Period Adjustments . Update No. 2015-16 eliminates the requirement to restate prior period financial statements for measurement period adjustments following a business combination. Update No. 2015-16 requires that the cumulative impact of a measurement period adjustment (including the impact on prior periods) be recognized in the reporting period in which the adjustment is identified. The prior period impact of the adjustment should be either presented separately on the face of the income statement or disclosed in the notes. Update No. 2015-16 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of Update No. 2015-16 did not impact on our financial position or results of operations. ASC Update No. 2015-17 In November 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. Update No. 2015-17 requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016; however, earlier application is permitted. We elected to early adopt Update No. 2015-17 on a prospective basis; as such, prior periods were not retrospectively adjusted. The adoption of Update No. 2015-17 did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-07 In March 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-07, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323) . When a previously held investment qualifies for equity method accounting due to an increase in ownership interest or influence, Update 2016-07 eliminates the requirement for investors to adjust results retroactively as if the equity method had been in effect during prior periods the investment was held. Instead, it requires investors to adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting. We elected to early adopt Update No. 2016-07 on a prospective basis. The adoption of Update No. 2016-07 did not impact on our financial position or results of operations. Standards to be Implemented 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. In July 2015, the FASB voted to approve a one year deferral, making the standard effective for public entities for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. As such, the standard will be effective for us on January 1, 2018. Under the deferral, early application is still permitted but not before the original public organization effective date, which is for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We expect to adopt Update No. 2014-09 effective January 1, 2018. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial position and results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-01 In January 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early application of certain provisions is permitted. Update 2016-01 requires entities to measure equity investments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method at fair value with changes recognized in net income. However, an entity may choose to measure equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. It also simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment. Update 2016-01 also requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset and liability. The adoption of Update No. 2016-01 is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-02 In February 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Earlier application is permitted. Update 2016-02 is intended to increase the transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease asset and lease liabilities on the balance sheet, including those previously classified as operating leases under current GAAP, and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial position and results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-08 In March 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net) . The effective date and transition requirements are consistent with Update 2014-09. The purpose of Update No. 2016-08 is to clarify the guidance on principal versus agent considerations. It includes indicators that help to determine whether an entity controls the specified good or service before it is transferred to the customer and to assist in determining when the entity satisfied the performance obligation and as such, whether to recognize a gross or a net amount of consideration in their consolidated statement of operations. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption will have on our financial position and results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-09 In March 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-09, Compensation- Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting . This update is effective for annual reporting periods after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal periods. Early adoption is permitted. The purpose of the update is to simplify several areas of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption will have on our financial position and results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-10 In April 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing. The effective date and the transition requirements are consistent with Update 2014-09. The guidance clarifies that entities are not required to assess whether promised goods or services are performance obligations if they are immaterial in the context of the contract. Update 2016-10 also addresses how to determine whether promised goods or services are separately identifiable and permits entities to make a policy election to treat shipping and handling costs as fulfillment activities. In addition, it clarifies key provisions in Topic 606 related to licensing. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption will have on our financial position and results of operations. No other new accounting pronouncements, issued or effective, during the period had, or is expected to have, a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

New Accounting Pronouncements (

New Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies. Recently issued standards typically do not require adoption until a future effective date. Prior to their effective date, we evaluate the pronouncements to determine the potential effects of adoption on our consolidated financial statements. Standards Implemented ASC Update No. 2015-05 In April 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-05, Intangibles- Goodwill and Other - Internal -Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement. Update No. 2015-05 provides accounting guidance on how customers should treat cloud computing arrangements. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. Update No. 2015-05 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within those reporting periods. We elected to adopt the amendments prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date. The adoption of Update No. 2015-05 did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. ASC Update No. 2015-12 In July 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-12, Plan Accounting: Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Topic 960), Defined Contribution Pension Plans (Topic 962), and Health and Welfare Benefit Plans (Topic 965). Update No. 2015-12 has three parts. Part I designates contract value as the only required measure for fully benefit-responsive investment contracts. Part II simplifies the investment disclosure requirements under Topics 820, 960, 962, and 965 for employee benefits plans and Part III provides an alternative measurement date for fiscal periods that do not coincide with a month-end date. Update No. 2015-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of Update No. 2015-12 did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. ASC Update No. 2015-16 In September 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement - Period Adjustments . Update No. 2015-16 eliminates the requirement to restate prior period financial statements for measurement period adjustments following a business combination. Update No. 2015-16 requires that the cumulative impact of a measurement period adjustment (including the impact on prior periods) be recognized in the reporting period in which the adjustment is identified. The prior period impact of the adjustment should be either presented separately on the face of the income statement or disclosed in the notes. Update No. 2015-16 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of Update No. 2015-16 did not impact on our financial position or results of operations. ASC Update No. 2015-17 In November 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. Update No. 2015-17 requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016; however, earlier application is permitted. We elected to early adopt Update No. 2015-17 on a prospective basis; as such, prior periods were not retrospectively adjusted. The adoption of Update No. 2015-17 did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-07 In March 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-07, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323) . When a previously held investment qualifies for equity method accounting due to an increase in ownership interest or influence, Update 2016-07 eliminates the requirement for investors to adjust results retroactively as if the equity method had been in effect during prior periods the investment was held. Instead, it requires investors to adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting. We elected to early adopt Update No. 2016-07 on a prospective basis. The adoption of Update No. 2016-07 did not impact on our financial position or results of operations. Standards to be Implemented 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. In July 2015, the FASB voted to approve a one year deferral, making the standard effective for public entities for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. As such, the standard will be effective for us on January 1, 2018. Under the deferral, early application is still permitted but not before the original public organization effective date, which is for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We expect to adopt Update No. 2014-09 effective January 1, 2018. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial position and results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-01 In January 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early application of certain provisions is permitted. Update 2016-01 requires entities to measure equity investments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method at fair value with changes recognized in net income. However, an entity may choose to measure equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. It also simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment. Update 2016-01 also requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset and liability. The adoption of Update No. 2016-01 is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-02 In February 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Earlier application is permitted. Update 2016-02 is intended to increase the transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease asset and lease liabilities on the balance sheet, including those previously classified as operating leases under current GAAP, and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial position and results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-08 In March 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net) . The effective date and transition requirements are consistent with Update 2014-09. The purpose of Update No. 2016-08 is to clarify the guidance on principal versus agent considerations. It includes indicators that help to determine whether an entity controls the specified good or service before it is transferred to the customer and to assist in determining when the entity satisfied the performance obligation and as such, whether to recognize a gross or a net amount of consideration in their consolidated statement of operations. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption will have on our financial position and results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-09 In March 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-09, Compensation- Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting . This update is effective for annual reporting periods after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal periods. Early adoption is permitted. The purpose of the update is to simplify several areas of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption will have on our financial position and results of operations. ASC Update No. 2016-10 In April 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing. The effective date and the transition requirements are consistent with Update 2014-09. The guidance clarifies that entities are not required to assess whether promised goods or services are performance obligations if they are immaterial in the context of the contract. Update 2016-10 also addresses how to determine whether promised goods or services are separately identifiable and permits entities to make a policy election to treat shipping and handling costs as fulfillment activities. In addition, it clarifies key provisions in Topic 606 related to licensing. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption will have on our financial position and results of operations. No other new accounting pronouncements, issued or effective, during the period had, or is expected to have, a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.
Subsequent Events, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Subsequent Events We evaluate events occurring after the date of our most recent accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets for potential recognition or disclosure in our financial statements. We did not identify any material subsequent events requiring adjustment to our accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements (recognized subsequent events) for the three months ended March 31, 2016 . Those items requiring disclosure (unrecognized subsequent events) in the financial statements have been disclosed accordingly. Refer to Note I - Commitments and Contingencies for more information.
ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures	We determine the fair value of our derivative instruments using the framework prescribed by FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Topic 820), 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 the 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	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 FASB ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815).
ASC Topic 712, Compensation - Non-retirement Postemployment Benefits and ASC Topic 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations	Termination benefits represent amounts incurred pursuant to our ongoing benefit arrangements and amounts for “one-time” involuntary termination benefits, and have been recorded in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 712, Compensation – Non-retirement Postemployment Benefits and FASB ASC Topic 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations (Topic 420). We expect to record additional termination benefits related to our restructuring initiatives throughout 2016 as we complete our 2014 Restructuring Plan. Other restructuring costs, which represent primarily consulting fees and costs related to contract cancellations, 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]	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 Update No. 2015 -05, Intangibles- Goodwill and Other - Internal -Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2015-05 In April 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-05, Intangibles- Goodwill and Other - Internal -Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement. Update No. 2015-05 provides accounting guidance on how customers should treat cloud computing arrangements. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. Update No. 2015-05 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within those reporting periods. We elected to adopt the amendments prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date. The adoption of Update No. 2015-05 did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2015-12, Plan Accounting [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2015-12 In July 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-12, Plan Accounting: Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Topic 960), Defined Contribution Pension Plans (Topic 962), and Health and Welfare Benefit Plans (Topic 965). Update No. 2015-12 has three parts. Part I designates contract value as the only required measure for fully benefit-responsive investment contracts. Part II simplifies the investment disclosure requirements under Topics 820, 960, 962, and 965 for employee benefits plans and Part III provides an alternative measurement date for fiscal periods that do not coincide with a month-end date. Update No. 2015-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of Update No. 2015-12 did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2015-16, Business Combinations [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2015-16 In September 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement - Period Adjustments . Update No. 2015-16 eliminates the requirement to restate prior period financial statements for measurement period adjustments following a business combination. Update No. 2015-16 requires that the cumulative impact of a measurement period adjustment (including the impact on prior periods) be recognized in the reporting period in which the adjustment is identified. The prior period impact of the adjustment should be either presented separately on the face of the income statement or disclosed in the notes. Update No. 2015-16 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of Update No. 2015-16 did not impact on our financial position or results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes [Policy Text Block]	In November 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes . This update simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, to be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. The new guidance is effective for all public Companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. We have elected to early adopt this standard prospectively at the beginning of 2016. ASC Update No. 2015-17 In November 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. Update No. 2015-17 requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016; however, earlier application is permitted. We elected to early adopt Update No. 2015-17 on a prospective basis; as such, prior periods were not retrospectively adjusted. The adoption of Update No. 2015-17 did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
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. In July 2015, the FASB voted to approve a one year deferral, making the standard effective for public entities for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. As such, the standard will be effective for us on January 1, 2018. Under the deferral, early application is still permitted but not before the original public organization effective date, which is for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We expect to adopt Update No. 2014-09 effective January 1, 2018. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial position and results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2016-01 In January 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early application of certain provisions is permitted. Update 2016-01 requires entities to measure equity investments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method at fair value with changes recognized in net income. However, an entity may choose to measure equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. It also simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment. Update 2016-01 also requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset and liability. The adoption of Update No. 2016-01 is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2016-02 In February 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Earlier application is permitted. Update 2016-02 is intended to increase the transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease asset and lease liabilities on the balance sheet, including those previously classified as operating leases under current GAAP, and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial position and results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2016-07, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323) [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2016-07 In March 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-07, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323) . When a previously held investment qualifies for equity method accounting due to an increase in ownership interest or influence, Update 2016-07 eliminates the requirement for investors to adjust results retroactively as if the equity method had been in effect during prior periods the investment was held. Instead, it requires investors to adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting. We elected to early adopt Update No. 2016-07 on a prospective basis. The adoption of Update No. 2016-07 did not impact on our financial position or results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2016-08 In March 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net) . The effective date and transition requirements are consistent with Update 2014-09. The purpose of Update No. 2016-08 is to clarify the guidance on principal versus agent considerations. It includes indicators that help to determine whether an entity controls the specified good or service before it is transferred to the customer and to assist in determining when the entity satisfied the performance obligation and as such, whether to recognize a gross or a net amount of consideration in their consolidated statement of operations. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption will have on our financial position and results of operations.
ASC Update No. 2016-09, Compensation- Stock Compensation (Topic 718) [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2016-09 In March 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-09, Compensation- Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting . This update is effective for annual reporting periods after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal periods. Early adoption is permitted. The purpose of the update is to simplify several areas of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption will have on our financial position and results of operations.
Update No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) [Policy Text Block]	ASC Update No. 2016-10 In April 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing. The effective date and the transition requirements are consistent with Update 2014-09. The guidance clarifies that entities are not required to assess whether promised goods or services are performance obligations if they are immaterial in the context of the contract. Update 2016-10 also addresses how to determine whether promised goods or services are separately identifiable and permits entities to make a policy election to treat shipping and handling costs as fulfillment activities. In addition, it clarifies key provisions in Topic 606 related to licensing. We are in the process of determining the effect that the adoption will have on our financial position and results of operations.

Acquisitions and Strategic In21

Acquisitions and Strategic Investments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Rollforward of Fair Value of Contingent Consideration [Table Text Block]	Changes in the fair value of our contingent consideration liabilities were as follows (in millions): Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ 246 Other amounts recorded related to prior acquisitions 1 Fair value adjustments 4 Contingent payments related to prior period acquisitions (63 ) Balance as of March 31, 2016 $ 188
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 liabilities include the following significant unobservable inputs: Contingent Consideration Liabilities Fair Value as of March 31, 2016 Valuation Technique Unobservable Input Range R&D, regulatory and commercialization-based Milestones $20 million Discounted Cash Flow Discount Rate 2.1% - 3.7% Probability of Payment 32% - 95% Projected Year of Payment 2017 - 2021 Revenue-based Payments $62 million Discounted Cash Flow Discount Rate 11% - 15% Projected Year of Payment 2016 - 2022 $106 million Monte Carlo Revenue Volatility 15% Risk Free Rate LIBOR Term Structure Projected Year of Payment 2016 - 2018

Goodwill and Other Intangible22

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Note D - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Abstract]
Goodwill	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 March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 are as follows: As of March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Gross Carrying Accumulated Amortization/ Gross Accumulated Amortization/ (in millions) Amount Write-offs Amount Write-offs Amortizable intangible assets Technology-related $ 8,948 $ (4,155 ) $ 8,948 $ (4,054 ) Patents 520 (362 ) 520 (358 ) Other intangible assets 1,531 (639 ) 1,529 (610 ) $ 10,999 $ (5,156 ) $ 10,997 $ (5,022 ) Unamortizable intangible assets Goodwill $ 16,377 $ (9,900 ) $ 16,373 $ (9,900 ) In-process research and development (IPR&D) 99 99 Technology-related 120 — 120 — $ 16,596 $ (9,900 ) $ 16,592 $ (9,900 )
Schedule of Goodwill [Table 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, 2015 $ (1,479 ) $ (6,960 ) $ (1,461 ) $ (9,900 ) Goodwill written off — — — — Accumulated write-offs as of March 31, 2016 $ (1,479 ) $ (6,960 ) $ (1,461 ) $ (9,900 ) The following represents our goodwill balance by global reportable segment: (in millions) Cardiovascular Rhythm Management MedSurg Total Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ 3,451 $ 292 $ 2,730 $ 6,473 Purchase price adjustments — — 4 4 Balance as of March 31, 2016 $ 3,451 $ 292 $ 2,734 $ 6,477
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 liabilities include the following significant unobservable inputs: Contingent Consideration Liabilities Fair Value as of March 31, 2016 Valuation Technique Unobservable Input Range R&D, regulatory and commercialization-based Milestones $20 million Discounted Cash Flow Discount Rate 2.1% - 3.7% Probability of Payment 32% - 95% Projected Year of Payment 2017 - 2021 Revenue-based Payments $62 million Discounted Cash Flow Discount Rate 11% - 15% Projected Year of Payment 2016 - 2022 $106 million Monte Carlo Revenue Volatility 15% Risk Free Rate LIBOR Term Structure Projected Year of Payment 2016 - 2018

Fair Value Measurements (Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Fair Value Disclosures [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 unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations during the first quarter of 2016 and 2015 (in millions): Amount of Pre-tax Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI (Effective Portion) Amount of Pre-tax Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Earnings (Effective Portion) Location in Statement of Operations Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 Currency hedge contracts $ 59 $ 48 Cost of products sold $ 59 $ 48 Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 Currency hedge contracts $ 93 $ 49 Cost of products sold $ 93 $ 49
Gains (losses) recognized in earnings for derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	The amount of gain (loss) recognized in earnings related to the ineffective portion of hedging relationships was immaterial for all periods presented.
Net foreign currency gain (loss) [Table Text Block]	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 Operations Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Gain (loss) on currency hedge contracts Other, net $ (39 ) $ 23 Gain (loss) on foreign currency transaction exposures Other, net 34 (33 ) Net foreign currency gain (loss) Other, net $ (5 ) $ (10 )
Classification of derivative assets and liabilities within level 2	The following are the balances of our derivative assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 : As of March 31, December 31, (in millions) Location in Balance Sheet (1) 2016 2015 Derivative Assets: Currently or Previously Designated Hedging Instruments Currency hedge contracts Other current assets $ 101 $ 138 Currency hedge contracts Other long-term assets 34 66 135 204 Non-Designated Hedging Instruments Currency hedge contracts Other current assets 29 33 Total Derivative Assets $ 164 $ 237 Derivative Liabilities: Currently or Previously Designated Hedging Instruments Currency hedge contracts Other current liabilities $ 6 $ 1 Currency hedge contracts Other long-term liabilities 22 — 28 1 Non-Designated Hedging Instruments Currency hedge contracts Other current liabilities 62 22 Total Derivative Liabilities $ 90 $ 23 (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 March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 : March 31, 2016 As of December 31, 2015 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets Money market and government funds $ 91 $ — $ — $ 91 $ 118 $ — $ — $ 118 Currency hedge contracts — 164 — 164 — 237 — 237 $ 91 $ 164 $ — $ 255 $ 118 $ 237 $ — $ 355 Liabilities Currency hedge contracts $ — $ 90 $ — $ 90 $ — $ 23 $ — $ 23 Accrued contingent consideration — — 188 188 — — 246 246 $ — $ 90 $ 188 $ 278 $ — $ 23 $ 246 $ 269

Borrowings and Credit Arrange24

Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of debt maturities	The debt maturity schedule for the significant components of our debt obligations as of March 31, 2016 is as follows: (in millions) 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Thereafter Total Senior Notes $ — $ 250 $ 600 $ — $ 1,450 $ 2,350 $ 4,650 Term Loans — 85 390 150 375 — 1,000 $ — $ 335 $ 990 $ 150 $ 1,825 $ 2,350 $ 5,650 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 revolving credit facility agreement compliance with debt covenants	Covenant Requirement Actual as of Maximum leverage ratio (1) 4.5 times 2.9 times Minimum interest coverage ratio (2) 3.0 times 7.0 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.

Restructuring Related Activit25

Restructuring Related Activities (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Restructuring and related costs	The following presents these costs (credits) by major type and line item within our accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations, as well as by program: Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 (in millions) Termination Benefits Accelerated Depreciation Transfer Costs Other Total Restructuring charges $ 1 $ — $ — $ 2 $ 3 Restructuring-related expenses: Cost of products sold — — 5 — 5 Selling, general and administrative expenses — 1 — 4 5 — 1 5 4 10 $ 1 $ 1 $ 5 $ 6 $ 13 All charges incurred in the first quarter of 2016 are related to the 2014 Restructuring Plan. Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 (in millions) Termination Benefits Accelerated Depreciation Transfer Costs Other Total Restructuring charges $ 5 $ — $ — $ 1 $ 6 Restructuring-related expenses: Cost of products sold — — 8 — 8 Selling, general and administrative expenses — 1 — 7 8 — 1 8 7 16 $ 5 $ 1 $ 8 $ 8 $ 22 (in millions) Termination Benefits Accelerated Depreciation Transfer Costs Other Total 2014 Restructuring Plan $ 8 $ 1 $ 8 $ 8 $ 25 Substantially completed restructuring programs (3 ) — — — (3 ) $ 5 $ 1 $ 8 $ 8 $ 22
Cumulative restructuring charges	Termination benefits $ 97 Fixed asset write-offs — Other 31 Total restructuring charges 128 Accelerated depreciation 9 Transfer costs 60 Other 45 Restructuring-related expenses 114 $ 242
Cash payments associated with restructuring initiatives	We made cash payments of $23 million in the first quarter of 2016 associated with our restructuring initiatives and as of March 31, 2016 , we had made total cash payments of $212 million related to our 2014 Restructuring Plan since committing to the plan. These payments were made using cash generated from operations, and are comprised of the following: (in millions) 2014 Restructuring Plan Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 Termination benefits $ 14 Transfer costs 5 Other 4 $ 23 Program to Date Termination benefits $ 83 Transfer costs 60 Other 69 $ 212
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, which is reported as a component of accrued expenses included in our accompanying unaudited condensed balance sheets (in millions): Accrued as of December 31, 2015 $ 29 Charges (credits) 1 Cash payments (14 ) Accrued as of March 31, 2016 $ 16
2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Restructuring and related costs	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 $95 million to $100 million Other (1) $30 million to $35 million Restructuring-related expenses: Other (2) $130 million to $135 million $255 million to $270 million (1) Consists primarily of consulting fees and costs associated with contract 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.

Supplemental Balance Sheet In26

Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Supplemental Balance Sheet Information [Abstract]
Trade accounts receivable, net	As of (in millions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Accounts receivable $ 1,413 $ 1,394 Less: allowance for doubtful accounts (80 ) (75 ) Less: allowance for sales returns (42 ) (44 ) $ 1,291 $ 1,275
Rollforward of allowances for doubtful accounts	Three Months Ended (in millions) 2016 2015 Beginning balance $ 75 $ 76 Charges to expenses 4 2 Utilization of allowances 1 (6 ) Ending balance $ 80 $ 72
Inventory Disclosure [Text Block]	As of (in millions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Finished goods $ 700 $ 706 Work-in-process 107 102 Raw materials 215 208 $ 1,022 $ 1,016
Property, plant and equipment, net	As of (in millions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Land $ 83 $ 86 Buildings and improvements 964 981 Equipment, furniture and fixtures 2,849 2,793 Capital in progress 185 202 4,081 4,062 Less: accumulated depreciation 2,617 2,572 $ 1,464 $ 1,490
Schedule of Accrued Liabilities	As of (in millions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Legal reserves $ 788 $ 773 Payroll and related liabilities 403 504 Accrued contingent consideration 86 119 Other 515 574 $ 1,792 $ 1,970
Other long-term liabilities	As of (in millions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Accrued income taxes $ 1,263 $ 1,253 Legal reserves 1,107 1,163 Accrued contingent consideration 102 127 Other long-term liabilities 462 431 $ 2,934 $ 2,974
Accrued warranties	Three Months Ended 2016 2015 Beginning Balance $ 23 $ 25 Provision 4 5 Settlements/reversals (6 ) (4 ) Ending Balance $ 21 $ 26

Weighted Average Shares Outst27

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Weighted Average Number of Shares [Table Text Block]	Three Months Ended (in millions) 2016 2015 Weighted average shares outstanding - basic 1,350.4 1,333.7 Net effect of common stock equivalents 19.5 — * Weighted average shares outstanding - assuming dilution 1,369.9 1,333.7 *We generated a net loss in the first quarter of 2015 . Our weighted-average shares outstanding for earnings per share calculations exclude common stock equivalents of 24.0 million for the first quarter of 2015 due to our net loss.

Segment Reporting (Tables)

Segment Reporting (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting Information By Segment	A reconciliation of the totals reported for the reportable segments to the applicable line items in our accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations is as follows: Three Months Ended (in millions) 2016 2015 Net sales Interventional Cardiology $ 613 $ 541 Peripheral Interventions 264 232 Cardiovascular 877 773 Cardiac Rhythm Management 471 483 Electrophysiology 64 61 Rhythm Management 535 544 Endoscopy 365 328 Urology and Pelvic Health 243 130 Neuromodulation 125 116 MedSurg 733 574 Net sales allocated to reportable segments 2,145 1,891 Impact of foreign currency fluctuations (181 ) (123 ) $ 1,964 $ 1,768 Income (loss) before income taxes Cardiovascular $ 299 $ 236 Rhythm Management 90 78 MedSurg 239 166 Operating income allocated to reportable segments 628 480 Corporate expenses and currency exchange (134 ) (82 ) Acquisition- and divestiture-, litigation-, restructuring- and restructuring-related net charges, and pension termination charges (65 ) (261 ) Amortization expense (136 ) (113 ) Operating income (loss) 293 24 Other expense, net (65 ) (75 ) Income (loss) before income taxes $ 228 $ (51 )

Changes in Other Comprehensiv29

Changes in Other Comprehensive Income (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
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 three months ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015 . Amounts in the chart below are presented net of tax. Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 (in millions) Foreign currency translation adjustments Unrealized gains/losses on derivative financial instruments Defined benefit pension items / Other Total Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ (54 ) $ 152 $ (10 ) $ 88 Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 16 (38 ) (2 ) (24 ) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income — (31 ) 2 (29 ) Net current-period other comprehensive income 16 (69 ) — (53 ) Balance as of March 31, 2016 $ (38 ) $ 83 $ (10 ) $ 35 Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 (in millions) Foreign currency translation adjustments Unrealized gains/losses on derivative financial instruments Defined benefit pension items / Other Total Balance as of December 31, 2014 $ (38 ) $ 219 $ (37 ) $ 144 Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (35 ) 59 (3 ) 21 Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income — (31 ) 8 (23 ) Net current-period other comprehensive income (35 ) 28 5 (2 ) Balance as of March 31, 2015 $ (73 ) $ 247 $ (32 ) $ 142

Basis of Presentation Pension T

Basis of Presentation Pension Termination charges (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Pension termination charges	$ 0	$ 36	$ 8	$ 44

Acquisitions and Strategic In31

Acquisitions and Strategic Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 6,477		$ 6,473
Accrued Contingent Consideration	188		$ 246
Adjustments to accrued contingent consideration	1
Maximum future contingent consideration for acquisitions	1,586
Payment of contingent consideration	(63)	$ (99)
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Change in Amount of Contingent Consideration, Liability	4	$ 27
Contingent payment related to business combination	63
revenue-based payments [Member] | Monte Carlo [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability	(106)
revenue-based payments [Member] | Discounted cash flow [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability	(62)
R&D and Commercialization-based Milestone [Member] | Discounted cash flow [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability	$ (20)
Minimum [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Monte Carlo [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenue Volatility - Contingent Consideration	15.00%
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment	2,016
Minimum [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Discounted cash flow [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	11.00%
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment	2,016
Minimum [Member] | R&D and Commercialization-based Milestone [Member] | Discounted cash flow [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	2.10%
contingent consideration liability, probability of payment	32.00%
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment	2,017
Maximum [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Monte Carlo [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment	2,018
Maximum [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Discounted cash flow [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	15.00%
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment	2,022
Maximum [Member] | R&D and Commercialization-based Milestone [Member] | Discounted cash flow [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	3.70%
contingent consideration liability, probability of payment	95.00%
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment	2,021

Strategic Investments (Details)

Strategic Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	$ 184	$ 173
Cost Method Investments	46	45
Notes Receivable From Portfolio Companies	32	$ 30
Equity Method Investment, Difference Between Carrying Amount and Underlying Equity	$ 100

Goodwill and Other Intangible33

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Goodwill [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	$ 10,999	$ 10,997
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	(5,156)	(5,022)
Indefinite-lived intangible assets, including goodwill	16,596	16,592
Indefinite-lived intangible assets, accumulated write-offs	(9,900)	(9,900)
Goodwill	6,477	6,473
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments	4
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	(9,900)	(9,900)
Goodwill (Textuals) [Abstract]
Goodwill impairment charge	0
Cardiovascular [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill	3,451	3,451
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments	0
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	(1,479)	(1,479)
Goodwill (Textuals) [Abstract]
Goodwill impairment charge	0
Rhythm Management [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill	292	292
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments	0
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	(6,960)	(6,960)
Goodwill (Textuals) [Abstract]
Goodwill impairment charge	0
MedSurg [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill	2,734	2,730
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments	4
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	(1,461)	(1,461)
Goodwill (Textuals) [Abstract]
Goodwill impairment charge	0
Unclassified Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, Gross	16,377	16,373
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	(9,900)	(9,900)
Technology-related [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)	120	120
In-process research and development [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)	99	99
Technology-related [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	8,948	8,948
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	(4,155)	(4,054)
Patents [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	520	520
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	(362)	(358)
Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	1,531	1,529
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	$ (639)	$ (610)

Fair Value Measurements Fair Va

Fair Value Measurements Fair Value Measurements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
ERROR in label resolution.
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount			$ 450
ERROR in label resolution. | Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Cost of Sales [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effective Portion, Net	$ 59	$ 93
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	48	49
ERROR in label resolution.
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Accrued Investment Income Receivable		7
Derivative, Notional Amount	2,197		1,458
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) Reclassified to Earnings, Net	48	49
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified During Next 12 Months	70
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Cumulative Changes in Net Gain (Loss) from Cash Flow Hedges, Effect Net of Tax, Ending Balance	77		145
Foreign Currency Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments at Fair Value, Net	2,257		2,090
Gain (Loss) on Interest Rate Fair Value Hedge Ineffectiveness		8
Gain (loss) recognized in earnings for terminated interest rate swaps		35
Unamortized gains on senior notes	60		63
Unamortized losses on senior notes	(1)		(1)
Unrealized gain on interest rate cash flow hedges, pretax, AOCI	10		10
reduction of interest expense, related to amortization of previously terminated interest rate contracts	3	2
Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified During Next 12 Months, Net	13
Derivative Assets	164		237
Derivative Liabilities	90		23
Time Deposits, at Carrying Value	15		31
Cash	232		170
Cost-method Investments, Aggregate Carrying Amount	46		45
Debt Instrument, Fair Value Disclosure	6,037		5,887
Loss on hedged debt obligation [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Interest Expense, Other		(8)
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Money Market Funds, at Carrying Value	91		118
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	164		237
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	255		355
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure	90		23
Accrued Contingent Consideration	188		246
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	278		269
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Money Market Funds, at Carrying Value	91		118
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	91		118
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]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Money Market Funds, at Carrying Value	0		0
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	164		237
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	164		237
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure	90		23
Accrued Contingent Consideration	0		0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	90		23
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [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	188		246
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	188		246
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value	135		204
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value	28		1
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Prepaid And Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value	101		138
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other Long Term Assets [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Assets, at Fair Value	34		66
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other current liabilities [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value	6		1
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other Noncurrent Liabilities [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value	22		0
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Prepaid And Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Asset, at Fair Value	29		33
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other current liabilities [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Liability, at Fair Value	62		$ 22
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other, net [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Gain (Loss), Net	(39)	23
Net gain (loss) from foreign currency transaction exposures	34	(33)
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), Realized	(5)	(10)
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effective Portion, Net	59	93
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	$ 48	$ 49

Borrowings and Credit Arrange35

Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Details) ¥ in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016JPY (¥)	Apr. 10, 2015USD ($)	Aug. 06, 2013USD ($)	Apr. 18, 2012USD ($)
Schedule of debt maturities
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Current Year	$ 0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	335
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	990
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	150
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	1,825
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal After Year Five	2,350
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Total Repayments of Principal	5,650
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Textuals) [Abstract]
Total debt	5,677	$ 5,677
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	300
Maximum amount of proceeds from sale of finance receivables	$ 411
Average interest rate of de-recognized receivables	1.70%	2.40%
De-recognized receivables	$ 178	$ 151
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	$ 43	44
November 2015 Notes [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.50%		5.50%
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Textuals) [Abstract]
Senior notes	$ 400
June 2016 Notes [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	6.40%		6.40%
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Textuals) [Abstract]
Senior notes	$ 600
2025 Notes [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.85%		3.85%
2022 Notes [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.375%		3.375%
2020 Notes [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	2.85%		2.85%
Uncommitted Credit Facilities With A Commercial Japanese Banks [Member]
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Textuals) [Abstract]
Maximum amount of proceeds from sale of finance receivables	$ 187		¥ 21,000
De-recognized receivables	$ 146	$ 132
Average discounted rates of notes receivables	1.60%	1.60%	1.60%
Extinguished Debt [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Interest Expense, Debt	$ 45
Covenant Requirement [Member]
Summary of compliance with debt covenants
Maximum Leverage Ratio	4.5		4.5
Minimum interest coverage ratio	3		3
Actual, Covenant [Member]
Summary of compliance with debt covenants
Maximum Leverage Ratio	2.9		2.9
Minimum interest coverage ratio	7		7
2015 Term Loan [Member]
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Textuals) [Abstract]
Interest Margin above LIBOR, Minimum				1.00%
Interest Margin above LIBOR, Maximum				1.75%
Unsecured Term Loan Facility, Interest Rate During Period	1.50%		1.50%
Quarterly term-loan principal payments				$ 38
Revolving credit facility [Member]
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Textuals) [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity						$ 2,000
the 2015 Facility [Member]
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Textuals) [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity				$ 2,000
Interest Margin above LIBOR, Minimum				0.90%
Interest Margin above LIBOR, Maximum				1.50%
Line of Credit Facility, Current Interest Rate	1.30%
Commitment fee percentage	0.20%
Exclusion from EBITDA for Restructuring Charges				$ 620
Restructuring charges remaining to be excluded from calculation of consolidated EBITDA	$ 547
Litigation and Debt Exclusion from EBITDA				2,000
Legal payments and debt remaining to be excluded from calculation of consolidated EBITDA	$ 1,680
2013 Term Loan [Member]
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Textuals) [Abstract]
Interest Margin above LIBOR, Minimum					1.00%
Interest Margin above LIBOR, Maximum					1.75%
Unsecured Term Loan Facility, Interest Rate During Period	1.50%		1.50%
Unsecured Term Loan Repayment		$ 150
2013 Term Loan [Member] | Due Q4 2017 [Member]
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Textuals) [Abstract]
Quarterly term-loan principal payments					$ 10
2013 Term Loan [Member] | Due 2018 [Member]
Borrowings and Credit Arrangements (Textuals) [Abstract]
Quarterly term-loan principal payments					$ 20
2013 Term Loan [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Total Repayments of Principal	$ 250	250
2015 Term Loan [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Total Repayments of Principal	750	750		$ 750
Senior Notes [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Current Year	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	250
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	600
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	1,450
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal After Year Five	2,350
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Total Repayments of Principal	4,650	4,650
Unsecured Term Loan Facility [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Current Year	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	85
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	390
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	150
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	375
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal After Year Five	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Total Repayments of Principal	1,000	$ 1,000
Offering Completed in May 2015 [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Total Repayments of Principal	1,850
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium), Net	1,831
2020 Notes [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Total Repayments of Principal	600
2022 Notes [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Total Repayments of Principal	500
2025 Notes [Member]
Schedule of debt maturities
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Total Repayments of Principal	$ 750
Periods prior to the closing of the AMS Portfolio Acquisition [Member] | Covenant Requirement [Member]
Summary of compliance with debt covenants
Maximum Leverage Ratio	4.5		4.5
Fifth fiscal quarter-end following the closing of the AMS Portfolio Acquisition [Member] | Covenant Requirement [Member]
Summary of compliance with debt covenants
Maximum Leverage Ratio	4.25		4.25
Sixth fiscal quarter-end following the closing of the AMS Portfolio Acquisition [Member] | Covenant Requirement [Member]
Summary of compliance with debt covenants
Maximum Leverage Ratio	4		4
Seventh fiscal quarter-end following the closing of the AMS Portfolio Acquisition [Member] | Covenant Requirement [Member]
Summary of compliance with debt covenants
Maximum Leverage Ratio	3.75		3.75
Eighth fiscal quarter-end and thereafter following the closing of the AMS Portfolio Acquisition [Member] | Covenant Requirement [Member]
Summary of compliance with debt covenants
Maximum Leverage Ratio	3.50		3.50

Restructuring Related Activit36

Restructuring Related Activities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		29 Months Ended	56 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Payments for Restructuring	$ (23)			$ (212)
Restructuring Related Expenses	10	$ 16
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	13	22
Restructuring Charges	3	6
2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date			$ 128
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date			114
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring and Related Cost, Cost Incurred to Date	242		242	242
Payments for Restructuring	(23)		(212)
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		25
Substantially Completed Restructuring Programs [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		(3)
Termination Benefits [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	0	0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	1	5
Restructuring Charges	1	5
Termination Benefits [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve	16		16	16	$ 29
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date			97
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Payments for Restructuring	(14)		(83)
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		8
Restructuring Charges	1
Termination Benefits [Member] | Substantially Completed Restructuring Programs [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		(3)
Accelerated depreciation [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	1	1
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	1	1
Restructuring Charges	0	0
Accelerated depreciation [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date			9
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		1
Accelerated depreciation [Member] | Substantially Completed Restructuring Programs [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		0
Transfer costs [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	5	8
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	5	8
Restructuring Charges	0	0
Transfer costs [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date			60
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Payments for Restructuring	(5)		(60)
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		8
Transfer costs [Member] | Substantially Completed Restructuring Programs [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		0
Impairment of an asset in value [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date			0
Other [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve	4		4	4	$ 3
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	4	7
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	6	8
Restructuring Charges	2	1
Other [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Restructuring and Related Cost [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges Incurred to Date			31
Restructuring-related Costs Incurred to Date			45
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Payments for Restructuring	(4)		(69)
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		8
Other [Member] | Substantially Completed Restructuring Programs [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost		0
Minimum [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Expected total costs associated with the plan	255		255	255
Restructuring plan estimated future cash outflow	240
Minimum [Member] | Restructuring Plan [Member] | Termination Benefits [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Expected total costs associated with the plan	95		95	95
Minimum [Member] | Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Expected total costs associated with the plan	30		30	30
Minimum [Member] | Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | Other [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Expected total costs associated with the plan	130		130	130
Maximum [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Expected total costs associated with the plan	270		270	270
Restructuring plan estimated future cash outflow	255
Maximum [Member] | Restructuring Plan [Member] | Termination Benefits [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Expected total costs associated with the plan	100		100	100
Maximum [Member] | Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Expected total costs associated with the plan	35		35	35
Maximum [Member] | Restructuring Related To Plan [Member] | Other [Member] | 2014 Restructuring plan [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Expected total costs associated with the plan	135		$ 135	$ 135
Cost of products sold [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	5	8
Cost of products sold [Member] | Termination Benefits [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	0	0
Cost of products sold [Member] | Accelerated depreciation [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	0	0
Cost of products sold [Member] | Transfer costs [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	5	8
Cost of products sold [Member] | Other [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	0	0
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	5	8
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] | Termination Benefits [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	0	0
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] | Accelerated depreciation [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	1	1
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] | Transfer costs [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	0	0
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] | Other [Member]
Estimated costs of restructuring program by major type of cost
Restructuring Related Expenses	$ 4	$ 7

Supplemental Balance Sheet In37

Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Trade accounts receivable, net
Accounts receivable	$ 1,413		$ 1,394
Less: allowance for doubtful accounts	(80)		(75)
Less: allowance for sales returns	(42)		(44)
Trade accounts receivable, net	1,291		1,275
Allowance for doubtful accounts
Beginning balance	75	$ 76
Charges to expenses	4	2
Utilization of allowances	(1)	(6)
Ending balance	80	72
Inventories
Finished goods	700		706
Work-in-process	107		102
Raw materials	215		208
Inventories	1,022		1,016
Property, plant and equipment, net
Land	83		86
Buildings and improvements	964		981
Equipment, furniture and fixtures	2,849		2,793
Capital in progress	185		202
Property, plant and equipment	4,081		4,062
Less: accumulated depreciation	2,617		2,572
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,464		1,490
Accrued expenses
Payroll and related liabilities	403		504
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability, Current	86		119
Legal reserves	788		773
Other	515		574
Accrued expenses	1,792		1,970
Other long-term liabilities
Accrued income taxes	1,263		1,253
Legal reserves	1,107		1,163
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability, Noncurrent	102		127
Other Accrued Liabilities, Noncurrent	462		431
Other long-term liabilities	2,934		$ 2,974
Accrued warranties
Beginning Balance	23	25
Provision	4	5
Settlements/ reversals	(6)	(4)
Ending Balance	21	26
Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Textuals) [Abstract]
Depreciation expense	$ 64	$ 65

Income Taxes (Details)

Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2015
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent [Abstract]
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	$ 1,056			$ 1,056
Unrecognized Tax Benefits that Would Impact Effective Tax Rate	901			900
Incremental tax liability asserted by IRS	$ 1,162
Reported tax rate	11.40%	97.50%
Net tax expense/benefits related to interest and penalties	$ 10	$ 11
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued, Total	$ 516			$ 500
Subsequent Event [Member]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent [Abstract]
Potential Reduction In Unrecognized Tax Benefits Over Next Twelve Months As Result Of Concluding Certain Matters			$ 15

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015USD ($)	May. 02, 2016claims	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies (Textuals) [Abstract]
Accrual for legal matters that are probable and estimable | $	$ 1,895			$ 1,936
Litigation Settlement, Expense | $	$ 10	$ 193
Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies (Textuals) [Abstract]
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product			36,000
Putative class actions in the U.S., Mesh			8
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product - Canada			20
Putative class actions in Canada, Mesh			4
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product - United Kingdom			15
Assigned to one judge in MA [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies (Textuals) [Abstract]
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product			3,100
Settled Litigation [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies (Textuals) [Abstract]
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product			11,000
Total Product liability cases and claims settled related to Mesh product			6,000

Weighted Average Shares Outst40

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding (Details) - shares shares in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic	1,350.4	1,333.7
Weighted Average Number Diluted Shares Outstanding Adjustment	19.5	0
Weighted average shares outstanding - assuming dilution	1,369.9	1,333.7
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount		24
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues	8	13
Stock Options [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	1	10

Segment Reporting (Details)

Segment Reporting (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016USD ($)reportablesegments	Mar. 31, 2015USD ($)
Net sales
Net sales	$ 1,964	$ 1,768
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	628	480
Amortization expense	(136)	(113)
Operating income (loss)	293	24
Other expense, net	(65)	(75)
Income (loss) before income taxes	$ 228	(51)
Segment Reporting (Textuals) [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments | reportablesegments	3
Cardiovascular [Member]
Net sales
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	$ 299	236
Rhythm Management [Member]
Net sales
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	90	78
MedSurg [Member]
Net sales
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	239	166
Corporate expenses and currency exchange [Member]
Net sales
Operating (Loss) Income Unallocated to Segment	(134)	(82)
Special Charges [Member]
Net sales
Operating (Loss) Income Unallocated to Segment	(65)	(261)
Operating Segments [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	2,145	1,891
Operating Segments [Member] | Cardiovascular [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	877	773
Operating Segments [Member] | Rhythm Management [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	535	544
Operating Segments [Member] | MedSurg [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	733	574
Impact of Foreign Currency Fluctuations [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	(181)	(123)
Global Interventional Cardiology (IC) Reporting Unit [Member] | Cardiovascular [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	613	541
Global Peripheral Interventions (PI) Reporting Unit [Member] | Cardiovascular [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	264	232
Global CRM Reporting Unit [Member] | Rhythm Management [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	471	483
Global Electrophysiology (EP) Reporting Unit [Member] | Rhythm Management [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	64	61
Global Endoscopy (Endo) Reporting Unit [Member] | MedSurg [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	365	328
Global Urology (Uro) Reporting Unit [Member] | MedSurg [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	243	130
Global Neuromodulation (NM) Reporting Unit [Member] | MedSurg [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	$ 125	$ 116

Changes in Other Comprehensiv42

Changes in Other Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Changes in Other Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax	$ (38)	$ (73)	$ (54)	$ (38)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Cumulative Changes in Net Gain (Loss) from Cash Flow Hedges, Effect Net of Tax	83	247	152	219
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net of Tax	(10)	(32)	(10)	(37)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	35	142	$ 88	$ 144
Cumulative Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax, Period Increase (Decrease)	16	(35)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Arising During Period, Before Reclassifications, Net of Tax	(38)	59
Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, before Reclassification Adjustments, Net of Tax	(2)	(3)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Reclassifications, Net of Tax	(24)	21
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Arising During Period, Reclassified from OCI, Net of Tax	(31)	(31)
Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net of Tax	2	8
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassifications out of OCI, Net of Tax	(29)	(23)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax	16	(35)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Arising During Period, Net of Tax	(69)	28
Net change in certain retirement plans, net of tax	0	5
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	(53)	(2)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Arising During Period, Tax	21	(34)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Arising Reclassed from OCI, Tax	$ 17	18
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) for defined benefit and pension items, reclassified out of OCI, tax impact		$ 4