Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	INCOME TAXES On December 22, 2017, the Tax Reform was signed into law making significant changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Changes include, but are not limited to, a corporate tax rate decrease from 35% to 21% effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, implementation of a modified territorial tax system and a repatriation tax on deemed repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries. We included a provisional estimate of the impact from Tax Reform in our 2017 income tax provision in accordance with our interpretation of Tax Reform and SAB 118. The provisional estimates have not been finalized as of March 31, 2018 and we did not make any measurement period adjustments during the three months ended March 31, 2018. We may refine our estimates of these provisional amounts as further guidance is issued from the U.S. Treasury, the SEC and the FASB. Additionally, we are continuing to evaluate the accounting policy election required with regard to the tax on Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (the Global Minimum Tax). The FASB allows companies to adopt a policy election to account for the Global Minimum Tax under one of two methods: (i) account for the Global Minimum Tax as a component of tax expense in the period in which a company is subject to the rules (the period cost method), or (ii) account for the Global Minimum Tax in a company’s measurement of deferred taxes (the deferred method). We have not elected a method and will only do so after our completion of the analysis of the Global Minimum Tax provisions. Our election method will depend, in part, on analyzing expected future U.S. taxable income inclusions related to Global Minimum Tax under both methodologies in order to determine the most appropriate method. Should we decide to elect the deferred method of accounting for the Global Minimum Tax, it is possible that our provisional estimate for re-measuring our deferred taxes may materially change. We will finalize the analysis for the accounting policy election during the measurement period. In February 2018, we repatriated $28.0 billion of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities to our parent company headquartered in the United States. Prior to the enactment of Tax Reform, these earnings were considered indefinitely reinvested and no U.S. taxes had been provided. In 2017, U.S. taxes were provided on these earnings through the accrual of the Tax Reform transition tax. Our effective income tax rate of 24.3% for the three months ended March 31, 2018 differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to settlement of a foreign tax examination, state taxes and our portion of the non-tax deductible branded prescription drug fee, partially offset by earnings from non-U.S. subsidiaries that operate in jurisdictions with lower tax rates than the United States. We file federal, state and foreign income tax returns in the United States and in many foreign jurisdictions. For federal and California income tax purposes, the statute of limitations is open for 2010 and onwards. For certain acquired entities, the statute of limitations is open for all years from inception due to our utilization of their net operating losses and credits carried over from prior years. Our income tax returns are subject to audit by federal, state and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under examination by the IRS for the tax years from 2010 to 2014 and by various state and foreign jurisdictions. There are differing interpretations of tax laws and regulations, and as a result, significant disputes may arise with these tax authorities involving issues of the timing and amount of deductions and allocations of income among various tax jurisdictions. We periodically evaluate our exposures associated with our tax filing positions. We record liabilities related to uncertain tax positions in accordance with the income tax guidance which clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements by prescribing a minimum recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. Resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period may have a material impact on the results of operations for that period. As of March 31, 2018, we believe that it is reasonably possible that our unrecognized tax benefits will decrease by approximately $800 million in the next 12 months due to potential settlement of tax examinations and lapse of statute of limitations.

INCOME TAXES

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Reform was signed into law making significant changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Changes include, but are not limited to, a corporate tax rate decrease from 35% to 21% effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, implementation of a modified territorial tax system and a repatriation tax on deemed repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries. We included a provisional estimate of the impact from Tax Reform in our 2017 income tax provision in accordance with our interpretation of Tax Reform and SAB 118. The provisional estimates have not been finalized as of March 31, 2018 and we did not make any measurement period adjustments during the three months ended March 31, 2018.

We may refine our estimates of these provisional amounts as further guidance is issued from the U.S. Treasury, the SEC and the FASB. Additionally, we are continuing to evaluate the accounting policy election required with regard to the tax on Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (the Global Minimum Tax). The FASB allows companies to adopt a policy election to account for the Global Minimum Tax under one of two methods: (i) account for the Global Minimum Tax as a component of tax expense in the period in which a company is subject to the rules (the period cost method), or (ii) account for the Global Minimum Tax in a company’s measurement of deferred taxes (the deferred method). We have not elected a method and will only do so after our completion of the analysis of the Global Minimum Tax provisions. Our election method will depend, in part, on analyzing expected future U.S. taxable income inclusions related to Global Minimum Tax under both methodologies in order to determine the most appropriate method. Should we decide to elect the deferred method of accounting for the Global Minimum Tax, it is possible that our provisional estimate for re-measuring our deferred taxes may materially change. We will finalize the analysis for the accounting policy election during the measurement period.

In February 2018, we repatriated $28.0 billion of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities to our parent company headquartered in the United States. Prior to the enactment of Tax Reform, these earnings were considered indefinitely reinvested and no U.S. taxes had been provided. In 2017, U.S. taxes were provided on these earnings through the accrual of the Tax Reform transition tax.

Our effective income tax rate of 24.3% for the three months ended March 31, 2018 differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to settlement of a foreign tax examination, state taxes and our portion of the non-tax deductible branded prescription drug fee, partially offset by earnings from non-U.S. subsidiaries that operate in jurisdictions with lower tax rates than the United States.

We file federal, state and foreign income tax returns in the United States and in many foreign jurisdictions. For federal and California income tax purposes, the statute of limitations is open for 2010 and onwards. For certain acquired entities, the statute of limitations is open for all years from inception due to our utilization of their net operating losses and credits carried over from prior years.

Our income tax returns are subject to audit by federal, state and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under examination by the IRS for the tax years from 2010 to 2014 and by various state and foreign jurisdictions. There are differing interpretations of tax laws and regulations, and as a result, significant disputes may arise with these tax authorities involving issues of the timing and amount of deductions and allocations of income among various tax jurisdictions. We periodically evaluate our exposures associated with our tax filing positions.

We record liabilities related to uncertain tax positions in accordance with the income tax guidance which clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements by prescribing a minimum recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. Resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period may have a material impact on the results of operations for that period.

As of March 31, 2018, we believe that it is reasonably possible that our unrecognized tax benefits will decrease by approximately $800 million in the next 12 months due to potential settlement of tax examinations and lapse of statute of limitations.