Condensed Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Millions, $ in Millions		Total	Adoption of new accounting standard, adjustment		Total CVS Health Shareholders’ Equity	Total CVS Health Shareholders’ Equity Adoption of new accounting standard, adjustment	[2]	Common Shares	Treasury Stock		Common Stock and Capital Surplus		Retained Earnings	Retained Earnings Adoption of new accounting standard, adjustment	[2]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Adoption of new accounting standard, adjustment	[2]	Noncontrolling Interests
Shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2021								1,744
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2021	[1]								(422)
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2021		$ 75,381	$ (540)	[2]	$ 75,075	$ (540)			$ (28,173)	[1]	$ 47,377	[3]	$ 54,906	$ 91		$ 965	$ (631)		$ 306
Shareholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		2,355			2,354								2,354						1
Other comprehensive income (loss)		(763)			(763)											(763)
Stock option activity, stock awards and other (in shares)								3
Stock option activity, stock awards and other		300			300						300	[3]
Purchases of treasury shares, net of ESPP issuances (in shares)	[1]								(19)
Purchase of treasury shares, net of ESPP issuances		(1,972)			(1,972)				$ (1,972)	[1]
Common stock dividends		(730)			(730)								(730)
Other increases (decreases) in noncontrolling interests		3																	3
Shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2022								1,747
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2022	[1]								(441)
Balance at end of period at Mar. 31, 2022		74,034			73,724				$ (30,145)	[1]	47,677	[3]	56,621			(429)			310
Shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2021								1,744
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2021	[1]								(422)
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2021		75,381	(540)	[2]	75,075	$ (540)			$ (28,173)	[1]	47,377	[3]	54,906	$ 91		965	$ (631)		306
Shareholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		1,995	130
Other comprehensive income (loss)		(1,688)
Shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2022								1,757
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2022	[1]								(442)
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2022		71,487			71,159				$ (30,326)	[1]	48,047	[3]	54,792			(1,354)			328
Shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2022								1,747
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2022	[1]								(441)
Balance at beginning of period at Mar. 31, 2022		74,034			73,724				$ (30,145)	[1]	47,677	[3]	56,621			(429)			310
Shareholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		3,039			3,029								3,029						10
Other comprehensive income (loss)		(540)			(540)											(540)
Stock option activity, stock awards and other (in shares)								8
Stock option activity, stock awards and other		197			197						197	[3]
Purchases of treasury shares, net of ESPP issuances (in shares)	[1]								(2)
Purchase of treasury shares, net of ESPP issuances		(267)			(267)				$ (267)	[1]
Common stock dividends		(729)			(729)								(729)
Other increases (decreases) in noncontrolling interests		2																	2
Shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2022								1,755
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2022	[1]								(443)
Balance at end of period at Jun. 30, 2022		75,736			75,414				$ (30,412)	[1]	47,874	[3]	58,921			(969)			322
Shareholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		(3,399)	10		(3,406)								(3,406)						7
Other comprehensive income (loss)		(385)			(385)											(385)
Stock option activity, stock awards and other (in shares)								2
Stock option activity, stock awards and other		173			173						173	[3]
ESPP issuances, net of purchase of treasury shares (in shares)	[1]								1
ESPP issuances, net of purchase of treasury shares		86			86				$ 86	[1]
Common stock dividends		(723)			(723)								(723)
Other increases (decreases) in noncontrolling interests		(1)																	(1)
Shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2022								1,757
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2022	[1]								(442)
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2022		$ 71,487			71,159				$ (30,326)	[1]	48,047	[3]	54,792			(1,354)			328
Shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022								1,758
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022		(458)							(458)	[4]
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2022		$ 71,769	454		71,469				$ (31,858)	[4]	48,193	[5]	56,398			(1,264)			300
Shareholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		2,142			2,136								2,136						6
Other comprehensive income (loss)		389			389											389
Stock option activity, stock awards and other (in shares)								1
Stock option activity, stock awards and other		122			122						122	[5]
Purchases of treasury shares, net of ESPP issuances (in shares)	[4]								(22)
Purchase of treasury shares, net of ESPP issuances		(1,962)			(1,962)				$ (1,944)	[4]	(18)	[5]
Common stock dividends		(781)			(781)								(781)
Other increases (decreases) in noncontrolling interests		(99)			9						9	[5]							(108)
Shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2023								1,759
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2023	[4]								(480)
Balance at end of period at Mar. 31, 2023		$ 71,580			71,382				$ (33,802)	[4]	48,306	[5]	57,753			(875)			198
Shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022								1,758
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022		(458)							(458)	[4]
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2022		$ 71,769	$ 454		71,469				$ (31,858)	[4]	48,193	[5]	56,398			(1,264)			300
Shareholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		6,321
Other comprehensive income (loss)		$ 260
Shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2023								1,767
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2023		(480)							(480)	[4]
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2023		$ 74,510			74,337				$ (33,831)	[4]	48,829	[5]	60,343			(1,004)			173
Shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2023								1,759
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2023	[4]								(480)
Balance at beginning of period at Mar. 31, 2023		71,580			71,382				$ (33,802)	[4]	48,306	[5]	57,753			(875)			198
Shareholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		1,914			1,901								1,901						13
Other comprehensive income (loss)		17			17											17
Stock option activity, stock awards and other (in shares)								5
Stock option activity, stock awards and other		345			345						345	[5]
Purchases of treasury shares, net of ESPP issuances (in shares)	[4]								(2)
Purchase of treasury shares, net of ESPP issuances		(129)			(129)				$ (131)	[4]	2	[5]
Common stock dividends		(786)			(786)								(786)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interests		66																	66
Other increases (decreases) in noncontrolling interests		(5)			(4)						(4)	[5]							(1)
Shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2023								1,764
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2023	[4]								(482)
Balance at end of period at Jun. 30, 2023		73,002			72,726				$ (33,933)	[4]	48,649	[5]	58,868			(858)			276
Shareholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		2,265			2,261								2,261						4
Other comprehensive income (loss)		(146)			(146)											(146)
Stock option activity, stock awards and other (in shares)								3
Stock option activity, stock awards and other		165			165						165	[5]
ESPP issuances, net of purchase of treasury shares (in shares)	[4]								2
ESPP issuances, net of purchase of treasury shares		105			105				$ 102	[4]	3	[5]
Common stock dividends		(786)			(786)								(786)
Other increases (decreases) in noncontrolling interests		$ (95)			12						12	[5]							(107)
Shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2023								1,767
Treasury shares outstanding, balance at end of period (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2023		(480)							(480)	[4]
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2023		$ 74,510			$ 74,337				$ (33,831)	[4]	$ 48,829	[5]	$ 60,343			$ (1,004)			$ 173

[1] Treasury shares include 1 million shares held in trust and treasury stock includes $29 million related to shares held in trust as of September 30, 2022, June 30, 2022, March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.

[2] Reflects the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2018-12, Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts (Topic 944) during the three months ended March 31, 2023. See Note 1 ‘‘Significant Accounting Policies’’ for additional information.

[3] Common stock and capital surplus includes the par value of common stock of $18 million as of September 30, 2022 and June 30, 2022 and $17 million as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.

[4] Treasury shares include 1 million shares held in trust and treasury stock includes $29 million related to shares held in trust as of September 30, 2023, June 30, 2023, March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

[5] Common stock and capital surplus includes the par value of common stock of $18 million as of September 30, 2023, June 30, 2023, March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.