Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Revenues from Third Party Payers, Uninsured and Other Payers

Our revenues from third party payers, the uninsured and other for the years ended December 31, are summarized in the following table (dollars in millions):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			Ratio			2015			Ratio			2014			Ratio
Medicare	$	8,895			21.4	%	$	8,654			21.8	%	$	8,354			22.6	%
Managed Medicare		4,355			10.5			4,133			10.4			3,614			9.8
Medicaid		1,597			3.8			1,705			4.3			1,848			5.0
Managed Medicaid		2,478			6.0			2,234			5.6			1,923			5.2
Managed care and other insurers		23,441			56.5			21,882			55.2			20,066			54.4
International (managed care and other insurers)		1,195			2.9			1,295			3.3			1,311			3.6
		41,961			101.1			39,903			100.6			37,116			100.6
Uninsured		1,135			2.7			1,927			4.9			1,494			4.0
Other		1,651			4.0			1,761			4.4			1,477			4.0
Revenues before provision for doubtful accounts		44,747			107.8			43,591			109.9			40,087			108.6
Provision for doubtful accounts		(3,257	)		(7.8	)		(3,913	)		(9.9	)		(3,169	)		(8.6	)
Revenues	$	41,490			100.0	%	$	39,678			100.0	%	$	36,918			100.0	%

Schedule of Revenue Deductions Related to Uninsured Accounts

A summary of these amounts for the years ended December 31, follows (dollars in millions):

	2016		Ratio			2015		Ratio			2014		Ratio
Charity care	$	4,151		20	%	$	3,682		20	%	$	3,775		24	%
Uninsured discounts		13,047		64			10,692		59			8,999		56
Provision for doubtful accounts		3,257		16			3,913		21			3,169		20
Total uncompensated care	$	20,455		100	%	$	18,287		100	%	$	15,943		100	%

Schedule of Estimated Cost of Uncompensated Care

A summary of the estimated cost of total uncompensated care for the years ended December 31, follows (dollars in millions):

	2016			2015			2014
Patient care costs (salaries and benefits, supplies, other operating expenses and depreciation and amortization)	$	35,304		$	33,760		$	31,478
Cost-to-charges ratio (patient care costs as percentage of gross patient charges)		13.5	%		14.5	%		15.5	%
Total uncompensated care	$	20,455		$	18,287		$	15,943
Multiply by the cost-to-charges ratio		13.5	%		14.5	%		15.5	%
Estimated cost of total uncompensated care	$	2,761		$	2,652		$	2,471