TAXES ON INCOME (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	May 13, 2016	Dec. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Income (loss) from continuing operations - domestic					$ 900	$ 1,000	$ 1,100
Income (loss) from continuing operations - foreign					(1)	(7)	4
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, income tax expense (benefit)		$ 1
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)					73	9	37
Current federal tax expense (benefit)					82	226	346
Current state and local income tax expense					26	5	45
Current foreign income tax expense					1	1	1
Defered federal income tax expense (benefit)					66	(20)	33
Deferred state and local income tax expense (benefit)					10	27	4
Deferred foreign income tax expense (benefit)					(3)	2	0
Total					$ 182	$ 241	$ 429
Tax provision at statutory rate					21.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State and local income taxes, net of federal benefit					4.70%	3.80%	3.30%
Gains and losses on book and tax basis difference					0.00%	(0.10%)	3.30%
Impact of noncontrolling interests					(1.40%)	(1.90%)	(1.80%)
Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation arrangements					(1.90%)	(3.60%)	(0.80%)
Return to provision true-ups					(1.40%)	(2.00%)	(0.80%)
Impact of TCJA enactment					0.10%	(10.40%)	0.00%
Change in accounting method					(1.60%)	0.00%	0.00%
Other, net					0.20%	2.60%	1.30%
Effective tax rate					19.70%	23.40%	39.50%
Income tax benefit associated with changes in tax return accounting method			$ 15		$ 15
Accounts receivable reserves		66		$ 63	66	$ 63
Liabilities not currently deductible non-current DTA		137		129	137	129
Stock-based compensation		38		41	38	41
Basis differences in investments, joint ventures and subsidiaries		(80)		(79)	(80)	(79)
Net operating loss carryfowards, net of valuation allowance		80		83	80	83
Non-current deferred tax liability - depreciation and amortization		(484)		(403)	(484)	(403)
Total non-current deferred tax liabilities, net		(243)		(166)	(243)	(166)
Total non-current deferred tax assets				4		4
Total non-current deferred tax liabilities		243		170	243	170
Operating loss carryforwards		147		155	147	155	$ 204
Deferred tax assets, valuation allowance		54		57	54	57	56
Income taxes payable		85		82	85	82
Prepaid taxes		14		37	14	37
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning balance					115	98	91
Additions for tax positions of current year					2	5	3
Additions for tax positions of prior years					11	23	12
Reductions for changes in judgment					(6)	(2)	(1)
Reductions for expirations of statutes of limitations					(15)	(6)	(7)
Reductions for settlements					0	(3)	0
Unrecognized tax benefits, ending balance		107		115	107	115	98
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate		56			56
Significant change in unrecognized tax benefits is reasonably possible, estimated range of change, upper bound		34			34
Unrecognized tax Benefits, interest on income taxes expense					1	1	2
Unrecognized tax benefits, interest on income taxes accrued		14		13	14	13
Domestic Country [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, income tax expense (benefit)				(106)		(106)
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, deferred tax expense (benefit)				(115)		(115)
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, current income tax expense (benefit)				$ 9	1	$ 9
Net operating loss carryforwards		131			131
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards		1,300			1,300
Foreign Country [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards		$ 56			$ 56
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Focus Diagnostics Products [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Taxes payable, current							91
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)	$ (7)						(7)
Total	$ 84						$ 84
Effective tax rate	71.40%