Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES Our effective tax rates from continuing operations for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and June 30, 2015, were 47.8% and 2.9%, respectively. For the first half of 2016 and 2015 our effective tax rates from continuing operations were 97.0% and (86.9)%, respectively. The change in our reported tax rate for the second quarter and first half of 2016, as compared to the same periods in 2015, relates primarily to the impact of certain receipts and charges that are taxed at different rates than our effective tax rate, including acquisition-related items, contingent consideration, litigation-related and restructuring-related items, as well as the impact of certain discrete tax items. As of June 30, 2016, we had $1.058 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $902 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2015, we had $1.056 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $900 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 for 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. 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 assessments. We have filed petitions with the U.S. Tax Court (Tax Court) contesting the Notices of Deficiency for the 2001 through 2007 tax years in challenge and submitted a letter to the IRS Office of Appeals (IRS Appeals) protesting the Revenue Agent Report for the 2008 through 2010 tax years and requesting an administrative appeal hearing. The issues in dispute were scheduled to be heard in Tax Court in late July 2016. On July 19, 2016, we entered into a Stipulation of Settled Issues with the IRS intended to resolve all of the aforementioned transfer pricing issues, as well as the issues related to our transaction with Abbott. The Stipulation of Settled Issues is contingent upon IRS Appeals applying the same basis of settlement to all transfer pricing issues for the Company’s 2008, 2009, and 2010 tax years, and if applicable, review by the U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Taxation. In the event that the conditions in the Stipulation of Settled Items are satisfied, we expect to make net tax payments to the IRS of approximately $275 million, plus interest through the date of payment. No payments will be required until the dispute, including its resolution with IRS Appeals, is definitively resolved and our tax liability, including interest, for each individual year has been recalculated by the IRS. Based on experiences of other companies, we expect to make payment within the next 12 to 24 months. We believe our income tax reserves associated with these matters are adequate as of June 30, 2016 and do not expect any additional charges related to the resolution of this controversy. We recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes as a component of income tax expense. We had $535 million accrued for gross interest and penalties as of June 30, 2016 and $500 million as of December 31, 2015. We recognized net tax expense related to interest and penalties of $13 million during the second quarter of 2016, $10 million during the second quarter of 2015, $23 million during the first half of 2016 and $21 million during the first half of 2015. 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 $767 million. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. This update simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, to be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. The new guidance is effective for all public Companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. We elected to early adopt this standard prospectively at the beginning of 2016.

INCOME TAXES

Our effective tax rates from continuing operations for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and June 30, 2015, were 47.8% and 2.9%, respectively. For the first half of 2016 and 2015 our effective tax rates from continuing operations were 97.0% and (86.9)%, respectively. The change in our reported tax rate for the second quarter and first half of 2016, as compared to the same periods in 2015, relates primarily to the impact of certain receipts and charges that are taxed at different rates than our effective tax rate, including acquisition-related items, contingent consideration, litigation-related and restructuring-related items, as well as the impact of certain discrete tax items.

As of June 30, 2016, we had $1.058 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $902 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2015, we had $1.056 billion of gross unrecognized tax benefits, of which a net $900 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 for 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. 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 assessments. We have filed petitions with the U.S. Tax Court (Tax Court) contesting the Notices of Deficiency for the 2001 through 2007 tax years in challenge and submitted a letter to the IRS Office of Appeals (IRS Appeals) protesting the Revenue Agent Report for the 2008 through 2010 tax years and requesting an administrative appeal hearing. The issues in dispute were scheduled to be heard in Tax Court in late July 2016. On July 19, 2016, we entered into a Stipulation of Settled Issues with the IRS intended to resolve all of the aforementioned transfer pricing issues, as well as the issues related to our transaction with Abbott. The Stipulation of Settled Issues is contingent upon IRS Appeals applying the same basis of settlement to all transfer pricing issues for the Company’s 2008, 2009, and 2010 tax years, and if applicable, review by the U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Taxation.

In the event that the conditions in the Stipulation of Settled Items are satisfied, we expect to make net tax payments to the IRS of approximately $275 million, plus interest through the date of payment. No payments will be required until the dispute, including its resolution with IRS Appeals, is definitively resolved and our tax liability, including interest, for each individual year has been recalculated by the IRS. Based on experiences of other companies, we expect to make payment within the next 12 to 24 months. We believe our income tax reserves associated with these matters are adequate as of June 30, 2016 and do not expect any additional charges related to the resolution of this controversy.

We recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes as a component of income tax expense. We had $535 million accrued for gross interest and penalties as of June 30, 2016 and $500 million as of December 31, 2015. We recognized net tax expense related to interest and penalties of $13 million during the second quarter of 2016, $10 million during the second quarter of 2015, $23 million during the first half of 2016 and $21 million during the first half of 2015.

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 $767 million.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASC Update No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. This update simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, to be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. The new guidance is effective for all public Companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. We elected to early adopt this standard prospectively at the beginning of 2016.