Investments - Debt Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Gross Amortized Cost	$ 22,117	$ 22,067
Allowance for Credit Losses	(3)	(4)
Net Amortized Cost	22,114	22,063
Gross Unrealized Gains	101	57
Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,393)	(1,840)
Fair Value	20,822	20,280
Supporting experience-rated products
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Gross Unrealized Gains	5	3
Gross Unrealized Losses	(40)	(59)
Fair Value	620	609
U.S. government securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Gross Amortized Cost	2,071	2,074
Allowance for Credit Losses	0	0
Net Amortized Cost	2,071	2,074
Gross Unrealized Gains	4	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	(140)	(182)
Fair Value	1,935	1,892
States, municipalities and political subdivisions
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Gross Amortized Cost	2,322	2,393
Allowance for Credit Losses	0	0
Net Amortized Cost	2,322	2,393
Gross Unrealized Gains	18	8
Gross Unrealized Losses	(86)	(129)
Fair Value	2,254	2,272
U.S. corporate securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Gross Amortized Cost	9,983	9,838
Allowance for Credit Losses	(2)	(3)
Net Amortized Cost	9,981	9,835
Gross Unrealized Gains	48	26
Gross Unrealized Losses	(665)	(903)
Fair Value	9,364	8,958
Foreign securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Gross Amortized Cost	2,765	2,780
Allowance for Credit Losses	(1)	(1)
Net Amortized Cost	2,764	2,779
Gross Unrealized Gains	21	15
Gross Unrealized Losses	(193)	(244)
Fair Value	2,592	2,550
Residential mortgage-backed securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Gross Amortized Cost	881	845
Allowance for Credit Losses	0	0
Net Amortized Cost	881	845
Gross Unrealized Gains	2	1
Gross Unrealized Losses	(71)	(89)
Fair Value	812	757
Commercial mortgage-backed securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Gross Amortized Cost	1,173	1,172
Allowance for Credit Losses	0	0
Net Amortized Cost	1,173	1,172
Gross Unrealized Gains	1	1
Gross Unrealized Losses	(146)	(155)
Fair Value	1,028	1,018
Other asset-backed securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Gross Amortized Cost	2,901	2,940
Allowance for Credit Losses	0	0
Net Amortized Cost	2,901	2,940
Gross Unrealized Gains	7	6
Gross Unrealized Losses	(90)	(136)
Fair Value	2,818	2,810
Redeemable preferred securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Gross Amortized Cost	21	25
Allowance for Credit Losses	0	0
Net Amortized Cost	21	25
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	(2)	(2)
Fair Value	$ 19	$ 23

Amount, before tax, of unrealized gain in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126970911&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, before tax, of unrealized loss in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126970911&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amortized cost of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126970911&loc=d3e27161-111563

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124258926&loc=SL82898722-210454

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(6))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126897435&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124258926&loc=SL82898722-210454

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124260329&loc=d3e26610-111562

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (aa)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126970911&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of allowance for credit loss on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124269663&loc=SL82922900-210455

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (i)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124269663&loc=SL82922900-210455

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (aaa)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126970911&loc=d3e27161-111563

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124258926&loc=SL82898722-210454

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleAllowanceForCreditLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amortized cost, after allowance for credit loss, of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126970911&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

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

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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