Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES Our effective tax rates from continuing operations for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and September 30, 2014, were 45.9% and (1,343.2)%, respectively. For the first nine months of 2015 and 2014 our effective tax rates from continuing operations were 68.9% and (296.0)%, respectively. The change in our reported tax rate for the third quarter and first nine months of 2015, as compared to the same periods in 2014, relates primarily to the impact of certain receipts and charges that are taxed at different rates than our effective tax rate, including intangible asset impairment charges, acquisition-related items, litigation- and restructuring-related items, pension termination charges, debt extinguishment charges, as well as the impact of certain discrete tax items. As of September 30, 2015, we had $1.086 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $925 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2014, we had $1.047 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $903 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. We have received Notices of Deficiency from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reflecting proposed audit adjustments for Guidant Corporation for its 2001 through 2006 tax years and Boston Scientific Corporation for its 2006 and 2007 tax years. The total incremental tax liability asserted by the IRS for the applicable periods is $1.162 billion plus interest. The primary issue in dispute for all years is the transfer pricing associated with the technology license agreements between domestic and foreign subsidiaries of Guidant. In addition, the IRS has proposed adjustments in connection with the financial terms of our Transaction Agreement with Abbott Laboratories pertaining to the sale of Guidant's vascular intervention business to Abbott in April 2006. In addition to the Notices of Deficiency, during 2014, we received a Revenue Agent Report from the IRS reflecting significant proposed audit adjustments to our 2008, 2009, and 2010 tax years based upon the same transfer pricing methodologies that the IRS applied to our 2001 through 2007 tax years. We do not agree with the transfer pricing methodologies applied by the IRS or its resulting assessment. In addition, we believe that the IRS positions with regard to these matters are inconsistent with the applicable tax laws and the existing Treasury regulations. We believe we have meritorious defenses for our tax filings and we have filed petitions with the U.S. Tax Court contesting the Notices of Deficiency for the 2001 - 2007 tax years in challenge. We currently expect the trial in this matter to occur in the second half of 2016. Furthermore, we have submitted a letter to the IRS protesting the Revenue Agent’s Report for the 2008 - 2010 tax years and requesting an administrative appeal hearing. We do not believe that the IRS will hear our appeal until the Tax Court case is concluded. No payments on the net assessments would be required until the dispute is definitively resolved, which, based on experiences of other companies, could take several years. We believe our income tax reserves associated with these matters are adequate as of September 30, 2015. However, final resolution is uncertain and could have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. We recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes as a component of income tax expense. We had $491 million accrued for gross interest and penalties as of September 30, 2015 and $443 million as of December 31, 2014. We recognized net tax expense related to interest and penalties of $11 million during the third quarter of 2015, $9 million during the third quarter of 2014, $32 million during the first nine months of 2015 and $28 million during the first nine months of 2014. It is reasonably possible that within the next 12 months we will resolve multiple issues including transfer pricing and transactional-related issues with foreign, federal and state taxing authorities, in which case we could record a reduction in our balance of unrecognized tax benefits of up to approximately $10 million.

INCOME TAXES

Our effective tax rates from continuing operations for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and September 30, 2014, were 45.9% and (1,343.2)%, respectively. For the first nine months of 2015 and 2014 our effective tax rates from continuing operations were 68.9% and (296.0)%, respectively. The change in our reported tax rate for the third quarter and first nine months of 2015, as compared to the same periods in 2014, relates primarily to the impact of certain receipts and charges that are taxed at different rates than our effective tax rate, including intangible asset impairment charges, acquisition-related items, litigation- and restructuring-related items, pension termination charges, debt extinguishment charges, as well as the impact of certain discrete tax items.

As of September 30, 2015, we had $1.086 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $925 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2014, we had $1.047 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $903 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate.

We have received Notices of Deficiency from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reflecting proposed audit adjustments for Guidant Corporation for its 2001 through 2006 tax years and Boston Scientific Corporation for its 2006 and 2007 tax years. The total incremental tax liability asserted by the IRS for the applicable periods is $1.162 billion plus interest. The primary issue in dispute for all years is the transfer pricing associated with the technology license agreements between domestic and foreign subsidiaries of Guidant. In addition, the IRS has proposed adjustments in connection with the financial terms of our Transaction Agreement with Abbott Laboratories pertaining to the sale of Guidant's vascular intervention business to Abbott in April 2006. In addition to the Notices of Deficiency, during 2014, we received a Revenue Agent Report from the IRS reflecting significant proposed audit adjustments to our 2008, 2009, and 2010 tax years based upon the same transfer pricing methodologies that the IRS applied to our 2001 through 2007 tax years.

We do not agree with the transfer pricing methodologies applied by the IRS or its resulting assessment. In addition, we believe that the IRS positions with regard to these matters are inconsistent with the applicable tax laws and the existing Treasury regulations. We believe we have meritorious defenses for our tax filings and we have filed petitions with the U.S. Tax Court contesting the Notices of Deficiency for the 2001 - 2007 tax years in challenge. We currently expect the trial in this matter to occur in the second half of 2016. Furthermore, we have submitted a letter to the IRS protesting the Revenue Agent’s Report for the 2008 - 2010 tax years and requesting an administrative appeal hearing. We do not believe that the IRS will hear our appeal until the Tax Court case is concluded.

No payments on the net assessments would be required until the dispute is definitively resolved, which, based on experiences of other companies, could take several years. We believe our income tax reserves associated with these matters are adequate as of September 30, 2015. However, final resolution is uncertain and could have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

We recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes as a component of income tax expense. We had $491 million accrued for gross interest and penalties as of September 30, 2015 and $443 million as of December 31, 2014. We recognized net tax expense related to interest and penalties of $11 million during the third quarter of 2015, $9 million during the third quarter of 2014, $32 million during the first nine months of 2015 and $28 million during the first nine months of 2014.

It is reasonably possible that within the next 12 months we will resolve multiple issues including transfer pricing and transactional-related issues with foreign, federal and state taxing authorities, in which case we could record a reduction in our balance of unrecognized tax benefits of up to approximately $10 million.