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STOCK OWNERSHIP AND COMPENSATION PLANS (Supplemental Deferred Compensation Plans) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Excluding Share-based Payments and Postretirement Benefits [Line Items]    
Amended company match percentage of employee contributions 5.00%dgx_AmendedCompanyMatchPercentageOfEmployeeContributions  
Cash surrender value of life insurance policies $ 30,000,000us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueFairValueDisclosure $ 29,000,000us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueFairValueDisclosure
Supplemental Deferred Compensation Plan [Member]    
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Excluding Share-based Payments and Postretirement Benefits [Line Items]    
SDCP salary deferral 50.00%dgx_SupplementalDeferredCompensationPlanSalaryDeferral
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SupplementalDeferredCompensationPlanMember
 
SDCP variable incentive compensation deferral 95.00%dgx_SupplementalDeferredCompensationPlanVariableIncentiveCompensationDeferral
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SupplementalDeferredCompensationPlanMember
 
Amended company match percentage of employee contributions 5.00%dgx_AmendedCompanyMatchPercentageOfEmployeeContributions
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SupplementalDeferredCompensationPlanMember
 
SDCP accrual 49,000,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualRecordedLiability
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SupplementalDeferredCompensationPlanMember
50,000,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualRecordedLiability
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SupplementalDeferredCompensationPlanMember
Funds in a trust pertaining to all participant deferrals and company matching amounts related to the SDCP 49,000,000dgx_FundsinatrustpertainingtoallparticipantdeferralsandcompanymatchingamountsrelatedtotheSDCP
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SupplementalDeferredCompensationPlanMember
50,000,000dgx_FundsinatrustpertainingtoallparticipantdeferralsandcompanymatchingamountsrelatedtotheSDCP
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SupplementalDeferredCompensationPlanMember
SDCP II [Member]    
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Excluding Share-based Payments and Postretirement Benefits [Line Items]    
Company match percentage of employee contributions 25.00%dgx_CompanyMatchPercentageOfEmployeeContributions
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SdcpIiMember
 
SDCP accrual 36,000,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualRecordedLiability
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SdcpIiMember
34,000,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualRecordedLiability
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SdcpIiMember
SDCP salary deferral monetary 20,000dgx_SdcpSalaryDeferralMonetary
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SdcpIiMember
 
Deferred compensation arrangement with individual, employer contribution 5,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualEmployerContribution
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SdcpIiMember
 
SDCP II vesting period four  
SDCP II graded vesting percentage 25.00%dgx_SdcpIiGradedVestingPercentage
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SdcpIiMember
 
Cash surrender value of life insurance policies $ 30,000,000us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SdcpIiMember
$ 29,000,000us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= dgx_SdcpIiMember