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Commercial Paper and Long-Term Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Other Long-term Debt, Current $ 34,000,000us-gaap_OtherLongTermDebtCurrent $ 34,000,000us-gaap_OtherLongTermDebtCurrent
Commercial Paper [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Short-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate 0.40%us-gaap_ShortTermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember
 
Line of Credit, Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity 4,000,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember
 
Five Year $3.0 Billion Credit Facility [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Long-term Line of Credit 0us-gaap_LineOfCredit
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_FiveYear30BillionCreditFacilityMember
 
Line of Credit, Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity 3,000,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_FiveYear30BillionCreditFacilityMember
 
Number Of Years Of Revolving Bank Credit 5 years  
Number of banks that comprise revolving bank credit facility (banks) 23unh_NumberOfBanksThatCompriseRevolvingBankCreditFacility
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_FiveYear30BillionCreditFacilityMember
 
Maximum percentage of indebtedness to total net capital bank covenant 50.00%unh_MaximumPercentageOfIndebtednessToTotalNetCapitalBankCovenant
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_FiveYear30BillionCreditFacilityMember
 
Five Year $3.0 Billion Credit Facility [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate During Period 1.00%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_FiveYear30BillionCreditFacilityMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
 
Five Year $3.0 Billion Credit Facility [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate During Period 1.20%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_FiveYear30BillionCreditFacilityMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
 
364 Day $1.0 Billion Credit Facility [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Long-term Line of Credit 0us-gaap_LineOfCredit
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_A364Day10BillionCreditFacilityMember
 
Line of Credit, Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity $ 1,000,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_A364Day10BillionCreditFacilityMember
 
Credit Facility, Number of Days 364  
Number of banks that comprise revolving bank credit facility (banks) 23unh_NumberOfBanksThatCompriseRevolvingBankCreditFacility
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_A364Day10BillionCreditFacilityMember
 
Maximum percentage of indebtedness to total net capital bank covenant 50.00%unh_MaximumPercentageOfIndebtednessToTotalNetCapitalBankCovenant
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_A364Day10BillionCreditFacilityMember
 
364 Day $1.0 Billion Credit Facility [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate During Period 1.00%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_A364Day10BillionCreditFacilityMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
 
364 Day $1.0 Billion Credit Facility [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate During Period 1.20%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ unh_CreditFacilityNameAxis
= unh_A364Day10BillionCreditFacilityMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember