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FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (Summary of Notional Amounts) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Minimum [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Debt instrument, interest rate 0.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
   
Maximum [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Debt instrument, interest rate 1.63%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
   
3.20% Senior Notes due April 2016 [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Debt instrument, interest rate 3.20%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_ThreePointTwoZeroPercentSeniorNotesdueApril2016Member
   
Debt instrument, maturity date Apr. 01, 2016    
3.20% Senior Notes due April 2016 [Member] | Six-Month LIBOR [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Floating Rate 2.30%us-gaap_DerivativeForwardInterestRate
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_ThreePointTwoZeroPercentSeniorNotesdueApril2016Member
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= dgx_SixMonthLondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
   
4.75% Senior Notes due January 2020 [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Debt instrument, interest rate 4.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourPointSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesDue2020Member
   
Debt instrument, maturity date Jan. 30, 2020    
4.75% Senior Notes due January 2020 [Member] | One-Month LIBOR [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Floating Rate 3.60%us-gaap_DerivativeForwardInterestRate
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourPointSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesDue2020Member
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= dgx_OneMonthLondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
   
4.70% Senior Notes due April 2021 [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Debt instrument, interest rate 4.70%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourPointSevenZeroPercentSeniorNotesdueApril2021Member
   
Debt instrument, maturity date Apr. 01, 2021    
4.70% Senior Notes due April 2021 [Member] | One-Month LIBOR [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Floating Rate 2.45%us-gaap_DerivativeForwardInterestRate
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourPointSevenZeroPercentSeniorNotesdueApril2021Member
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= dgx_OneMonthLondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
   
4.70% Senior Notes due April 2021 [Member] | One-Month LIBOR [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Floating Rate 3.39%us-gaap_DerivativeForwardInterestRate
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourPointSevenZeroPercentSeniorNotesdueApril2021Member
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= dgx_OneMonthLondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
   
4.25% Senior Notes due April 2024 [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Debt instrument, interest rate 4.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourpointtwofivepercentSeniorNotesDue2024Member
4.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourpointtwofivepercentSeniorNotesDue2024Member
 
Debt instrument, maturity date Apr. 01, 2024    
4.25% Senior Notes due April 2024 [Member] | One-Month LIBOR [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Floating Rate 1.54%us-gaap_DerivativeForwardInterestRate
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourpointtwofivepercentSeniorNotesDue2024Member
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= dgx_OneMonthLondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
   
4.25% Senior Notes due April 2024 [Member] | One-Month LIBOR [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Floating Rate 1.59%us-gaap_DerivativeForwardInterestRate
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourpointtwofivepercentSeniorNotesDue2024Member
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= dgx_OneMonthLondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
   
Fair Value Hedging [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Notional Amount 1,200invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
  $ 950invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | 3.20% Senior Notes due April 2016 [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Notional Amount 200invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_ThreePointTwoZeroPercentSeniorNotesdueApril2016Member
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
  200invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_ThreePointTwoZeroPercentSeniorNotesdueApril2016Member
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | 4.75% Senior Notes due January 2020 [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Notional Amount 350invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourPointSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesDue2020Member
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
  350invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourPointSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesDue2020Member
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | 4.70% Senior Notes due April 2021 [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Notional Amount 400invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourPointSevenZeroPercentSeniorNotesdueApril2021Member
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
  400invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourPointSevenZeroPercentSeniorNotesdueApril2021Member
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | 4.25% Senior Notes due April 2024 [Member]      
Derivative [Line Items]      
Notional Amount 250invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourpointtwofivepercentSeniorNotesDue2024Member
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
  $ 0invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= dgx_FourpointtwofivepercentSeniorNotesDue2024Member
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember