Name:	cvs_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAllocatedAndSingleMaturityDateAfterFiveThroughTenYears
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Allocated And Single Maturity Date, After Five Through Ten Years, Accumulated Loss

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAllocatedAndSingleMaturityDateAfterFiveThroughTenYearsAccumulatedLoss
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Allocated And Single Maturity Date, After One Through Five Years

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAllocatedAndSingleMaturityDateAfterOneThroughFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Allocated And Single Maturity Date, After One Through Five Years, Accumulated Loss

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAllocatedAndSingleMaturityDateAfterOneThroughFiveYearsAccumulatedLoss
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Allocated And Single Maturity Date, After Ten Years

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAllocatedAndSingleMaturityDateAfterTenYears
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Allocated And Single Maturity Date, After Ten Years, Accumulated Loss

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAllocatedAndSingleMaturityDateAfterTenYearsAccumulatedLoss
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Allocated And Single Maturity Date, Within One Year

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAllocatedAndSingleMaturityDateWithinOneYear
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Allocated And Single Maturity Date, Within One Year, Accumulated Loss

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAllocatedAndSingleMaturityDateWithinOneYearAccumulatedLoss
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Without Single Maturity Date, Accumulated Loss

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionWithoutSingleMaturityDateAccumulatedLoss
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Without Single Maturity Date, Fair Value

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionWithoutSingleMaturityDateFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAccumulatedLossAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesFairValueAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in unrealized loss position without allowance for credit loss.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126970911&loc=d3e27290-111563

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124269663&loc=SL82922888-210455

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121590138&loc=SL82922954-210456

Name:	us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleUnrealizedLossPosition
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in unrealized loss position, without allowance for credit loss. Includes beneficial interest in securitized financial asset.

Name:	us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleUnrealizedLossPositionAccumulatedLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=cvs_OtherAssetBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=cvs_SupportingExperienceRatedProductsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: