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Receivables (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Jan. 03, 2015
Dec. 28, 2013
Dec. 29, 2012
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]      
Client cash collections $ 3,500,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromCustomers $ 3,100,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromCustomers  
Cash collections received from third party arrangements with nonrecourse payment assignments 79,900,000cern_CashCollectionsReceivedFromThirdPartyArrangementsWithNonrecoursePaymentAssignments 60,800,000cern_CashCollectionsReceivedFromThirdPartyArrangementsWithNonrecoursePaymentAssignments  
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts [Member]      
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]      
Valuation allowances and reserves, charged to cost and expense $ 5,274,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesChargedToCostAndExpense
/ us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis
= us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember
$ 6,954,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesChargedToCostAndExpense
/ us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis
= us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember
$ 13,483,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesChargedToCostAndExpense
/ us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis
= us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember