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Accounting Policies - Schedule of Revenue Deductions Related to Uninsured Accounts (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Charity care	$ 3,093	$ 2,683	$ 2,337
Uninsured discounts	6,978	5,707	4,641
Provision for doubtful accounts	3,770	2,824	2,648
Total uncompensated care	$ 13,841	$ 11,214	$ 9,626
Charity care, ratio	22.00%	24.00%	24.00%
Uninsured discounts, ratio	51.00%	51.00%	48.00%
Provision for doubtful accounts, ratio	27.00%	25.00%	28.00%
Total uncompensated care, ratio	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Amount of the current period expense charged against operations, the offset which is generally to the allowance for doubtful accounts for the purpose of reducing receivables, including notes receivable, to an amount that approximates their net realizable value (the amount expected to be collected).

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