Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	NOTE A – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Principles of Consolidation Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Boston Scientific Corporation and our wholly-owned subsidiaries, after the elimination of intercompany transactions. When used in this report, the terms "we," "us," "our" and "the Company" mean Boston Scientific Corporation and its divisions and subsidiaries. We assess the terms of our investment interests to determine if any of our investees meet the definition of a variable interest entity (VIE). For any VIEs, we perform an analysis to determine whether our variable interests give us a controlling financial interest. The analysis identifies the primary beneficiary of a VIE as the enterprise that has both 1) the power to direct activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and 2) the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the right to receive benefits from the entity. Based on our assessments under the applicable guidance, we did not have controlling financial interests in any VIEs and, therefore, did not consolidate any VIEs during 2020, 2019 or 2018. Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) and with the instructions to Form 10-K and Regulation S-X. Amounts reported in millions within this report are computed based on the amounts in thousands. As a result, the sum of the components reported in millions may not equal the total amount reported in millions due to rounding. Certain columns and rows within tables may not add due to the use of rounded numbers. Percentages presented are calculated from the underlying numbers in dollars. Subsequent Events We evaluate events occurring after the date of our accompanying consolidated balance sheets for potential recognition or disclosure in our consolidated financial statements. Those items requiring recognition in the financial statements have been recorded and disclosed accordingly. Those items requiring disclosure (non-recognized subsequent events) in the financial statements have been disclosed accordingly. Refer to Note B – Acquisitions and Strategic Investments, Note H – Restructuring-related Activities, Note K – Commitments and Contingencies and Note L – Stockholders' Equity for further details. Accounting Estimates To prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, management makes estimates and assumptions that may affect the reported amounts of our assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent liabilities as of the date of our consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of our revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Our actual results may differ from these estimates. Refer to Critical Accounting Estimates included in Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of this Annual Report for further discussion. Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents Cash and Cash Equivalents We record Cash and cash equivalents in our consolidated balance sheets at cost, which approximates fair value. Our policy is to invest excess cash in short-term marketable securities earning a market rate of interest without assuming undue risk of loss of principal amounts invested and we limit our direct exposure to securities in any one industry or issuer. We consider to be cash equivalents all short-term marketable securities with remaining days to maturity of 90 days or less from the purchase date that can be readily converted to cash. Restricted Cash Amounts included in restricted cash represent cash on hand required to be set aside by a contractual agreement related to receivable factoring arrangements and deferred compensation plans and are included in the Other current assets caption within our consolidated balance sheets. Generally, the restrictions related to the factoring arrangements lapse at the time we remit the customer payments collected by us for servicing previously sold customer receivables to the purchaser. Restrictions for deferred compensation lapse when amounts are paid to the employee. Restricted Cash Equivalents Restricted cash equivalents primarily represent amounts paid into various qualified settlement funds related to our ongoing transvaginal surgical mesh litigation and current amounts related to our non-qualified pension plan and are included in the Other current assets caption within our consolidated balance sheets. The restrictions related to the various qualified settlement funds will lapse as we approve amounts payable to claimants, at which time we no longer have rights to a return of the amounts paid into the various qualified settlement funds. Restricted cash equivalents included in the Other long-term assets caption within our consolidated balance sheets are related to deferred compensation plans. Concentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, derivative financial instruments and accounts and notes receivable. Our investment policy limits exposure to concentrations of credit risk and changes in market conditions. Counterparties to financial instruments expose us to credit-related losses in the event of nonperformance. We transact our financial instruments with a diversified group of major financial institutions with investment grade credit ratings and actively monitor their credit ratings and our outstanding positions to limit our credit exposure. In the normal course, our payment terms with customers, including hospitals, healthcare agencies, clinics, doctors' offices and other private and governmental institutions, are typically 30 days in the U.S. but may be longer in international markets and generally do not require collateral. We record credit loss reserves to Allowance for credit losses when we establish Trade accounts receivable if credit losses are expected over the asset's contractual life. We base our estimates of credit loss reserves on historical experience and adjust, as necessary, to reflect current conditions using reasonable and supportable forecasts not already reflected in the historical loss information. We utilize an accounts receivable aging approach to determine the reserve to record at accounts receivable commencement for certain customers, applying country or region-specific factors. In performing the assessment of outstanding accounts receivable, regardless of country or region, we may consider significant factors relevant to collectability, including those specific to a customer such as bankruptcy, lengthy average payment cycles and type of account. We write-off amounts determined to be uncollectible against this reserve. Write-offs of uncollectible accounts receivable were immaterial in 2020, 2019 and 2018. We are not dependent on any single institution, and no single customer accounted for more than ten percent of our net sales in 2020, 2019 and 2018; however, large group purchasing organizations, hospital networks, international distributors and dealers and other buying groups have become increasingly important to our business and represent a substantial portion of our net sales. We closely monitor outstanding receivables for potential collection risks, including those that may arise from economic conditions, in both the U.S. and international economies. Our sales to government-owned or supported customers, particularly in southern Europe, are subject to an increased number of days outstanding prior to payment relative to other countries. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated an ongoing site-of-service trend of shifting procedure volumes toward non-hospital settings, particularly ambulatory surgery centers, driven by considerations surrounding costs, reimbursement policies, advances in minimally invasive treatments and remote patient monitoring. We have seen an increase in the volume of our U.S. business conducted in ambulatory surgery centers. Many of these customers are smaller than those we have historically done business with and may have limited liquidity. While certain ambulatory surgery centers are performing an increasing number of procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, others have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and mitigation measures. We have adjusted our estimates of credit loss reserves for these customers, regions and conditions, as appropriate. We believe our Allowance for credit losses is adequate as of December 31, 2020 and 2019; however, if significant changes were to occur in the payment practices of government customers, or if there is an increase in bankruptcies among our ambulatory surgery center customers, we may not be able to collect on receivables due to us from these customers, and our write-offs of uncollectible accounts may increase. Revenue Recognition We sell our products primarily through a direct sales force. In certain international markets, we sell our products through independent distributors or dealers. We consider revenue to be earned when all of the following criteria are met in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: •We have a contract with a customer that creates enforceable rights and obligations, •Promised products or services are identified, •The transaction price, or the amount we expect to receive, is determinable and •We have transferred control of the promised items to the customer. Transfer of control is evidenced upon passage of title and risk of loss to the customer unless we are required to provide additional services. We treat shipping and handling costs performed after a customer obtains control of the good as a fulfillment cost and record these costs as a selling expense when incurred. We recognize revenue from consignment arrangements based on product usage, or implant, which indicates that the sale is complete. We recognize a receivable at the point in time we have an unconditional right to payment. Payment terms are typically 30 days in the U.S. but may be longer in international markets. Deferred Revenue We record a contract liability, or deferred revenue, when we have an obligation to provide a product or service to the customer and payment is received or due in advance of our performance. When we sell a device with a future service obligation, we defer revenue on the unfulfilled performance obligation and recognize this revenue over the related service period. Many of our Cardiac Rhythm Management product offerings combine the sale of a device with our LATITUDE™ Patient Management System, within our Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) business, which represents a future service obligation. Generally, we do not have observable evidence of the standalone selling price related to our future service obligations; therefore, we estimate the selling price using an expected cost plus a margin approach. We allocate the transaction price using the relative standalone selling price method. The use of alternative estimates could result in a different amount of revenue deferral. Contract liabilities are classified within Other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities on our accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Our contractual liabilities are primarily composed of deferred revenue related to the LATITUDE Patient Management System. Revenue is recognized over the average service period which is based on device and patient longevity. Our contractual liabilities also include deferred revenue related to the LUX-Dx™ Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) system, also within our CRM business, for which revenue is recognized over the average service period based on device longevity and usage. We have elected not to disclose the transaction price allocated to unsatisfied performance obligations when the original expected contract duration is one year or less. In addition, we have not identified material unfulfilled performance obligations for which revenue is not currently deferred. Variable Consideration We generally allow our customers to return defective, damaged and, in certain cases, expired products for credit. We base our estimate for sales returns upon historical trends and record the amount as a reduction to revenue when we sell the initial product. In addition, we may allow customers to return previously purchased products for next-generation product offerings. For these transactions, we defer recognition of revenue on the sale of the earlier generation product based upon an estimate of the amount of product to be returned when the next-generation products are shipped to the customer. Uncertain timing of next-generation product approvals, variability in product launch strategies, product recalls and variation in product utilization all affect our estimates related to sales returns and could cause actual returns to differ from these estimates. We also offer sales rebates and discounts to certain customers. We treat sales rebates and discounts as a reduction of revenue and classify the corresponding liability as current. We estimate rebates for products where there is sufficient historical information available to predict the volume of expected future rebates. If we are unable to reasonably estimate the expected rebates, we record a liability for the maximum rebate percentage offered. We have entered certain agreements with group purchasing organizations to sell our products to participating hospitals at negotiated prices. We recognize revenue from these agreements following the same revenue recognition criteria discussed above. Post-Implant Services We provide non-contractual services to customers to ensure the safe and effective use of certain implanted devices. Because the revenue related to the immaterial services is recognized before they are delivered, we forward accrue the costs to provide these services at the time the devices are sold. We record these costs to Selling, general and administrative expenses within our consolidated statements of operations. We estimate the amount of time spent by our representatives performing these services and their compensation throughout the device life to determine the service cost. Changes to our business practice or the use of alternative estimates could result in a different amount of accrued cost. Warranty Obligations We offer warranties on certain of our product offerings. The majority of our warranty liability relates to implantable devices offered by our CRM business, which include implantable defibrillator and pacemaker systems. These products come with a standard limited warranty covering the replacement of these devices. We offer a full warranty for a portion of the period post-implant and a partial warranty for a period of time thereafter. We estimate the costs that we may incur under our warranty programs based on the number of units sold, historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims and cost per claim and record a liability equal to these estimated costs as cost of products sold at the time the product sale occurs. We assess the adequacy of our recorded warranty liabilities on a quarterly basis and adjust these amounts as necessary. Inventories We state inventories at the lower of first-in, first-out cost or net realizable value. We utilize a standard costing system, capitalizing variances between estimated and actual production costs during periods of normal production, and amortize to Cost of products sold over inventory turns. We expense manufacturing variances during periods of abnormal production, or less than 75 percent of manufacturing capacity. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded $149 million of abnormal manufacturing variances attributable to lower production levels resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and lower than forecasted demand for our products. We did not record any abnormal production variances during the years ended December 31, 2019 or 2018. We base our provisions for excess, expired and obsolete inventory primarily on our estimates of forecasted net sales. A significant change in the timing or level of demand for our products as compared to forecasted amounts may result in recording additional provisions for excess, expired and obsolete inventory in the future. Further, the industry in which we participate is characterized by rapid product development and frequent new product introductions. Uncertain timing of next-generation product approvals, variability in product launch strategies, product recalls and variation in product utilization all affect our estimates related to excess, expired and obsolete inventory. Property, Plant and Equipment We state property, plant, equipment and leasehold improvements at historical cost. We charge expenditures for maintenance and repairs to expense and capitalize additions and improvements that extend the life of the underlying asset. We provide for depreciation using the straight-line method at rates that approximate the estimated useful lives of the assets. We depreciate buildings over a maximum life of 40 years; building improvements over the remaining useful life of the building structure; equipment, furniture and fixtures over a three to seven year life; and leasehold improvements over the shorter of the useful life of the improvement or the term of the related lease. Valuation of Business Combinations We allocate the amounts we pay for each acquisition to the assets we acquire and liabilities we assume based on their fair values at the date of acquisition, including identifiable intangible assets and in-process research and development (IPR&D), which either arise from a contractual or legal right or are separable from goodwill. We base the fair value of identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination, including IPR&D, on detailed valuations that use information and assumptions provided by management, which consider management’s best estimates of inputs and assumptions that a market participant would use. We allocate to goodwill any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired. Transaction costs associated with these acquisitions are expensed as incurred through Selling, general and administrative expenses. In those circumstances where an acquisition involves a contingent consideration arrangement, we recognize a liability equal to the fair value of the contingent payments we expect to make as of the acquisition date. We re-measure this liability each reporting period and record changes in the fair value through Contingent consideration net expense (benefit) on our consolidated statements of operations. Increases or decreases in the fair value of the contingent consideration liability can result from changes in discount rates, periods, timing and amount of projected revenue or timing or likelihood of achieving regulatory, revenue or commercialization-based milestones. Payment of additional consideration is generally contingent on the acquired company reaching certain performance milestones after the acquisition date, including attaining specified revenue levels, achieving product development targets and/or obtaining regulatory approvals for products in development at the date of the acquisition. Indefinite-lived Intangibles and IPR&D Our indefinite-lived intangible assets, which are not subject to amortization, include acquired balloon and other technology, which is foundational to our ongoing operations within our Cardiovascular and MedSurg businesses, and IPR&D intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Our IPR&D represents intangible assets that are used in research and development activities but have not yet reached technological feasibility, regardless of whether they have alternative future use. The primary basis for determining the technological feasibility or completion of these projects is obtaining regulatory approval to market the underlying products in an applicable geographic region. We classify IPR&D as an indefinite-lived intangible asset until the completion or abandonment of the associated research and development efforts. Upon completion of the associated research and development efforts, we will determine the useful life of the technology and begin amortizing the assets to reflect their use over their remaining lives. Upon permanent abandonment, we write-off the remaining carrying amount of the associated IPR&D intangible asset. We test our indefinite-lived intangible assets at least annually during the third quarter for impairment and reassess their classification as indefinite-lived assets. In addition, we review our indefinite-lived intangible assets for classification and impairment more frequently if impairment indicators exist. We assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that our indefinite-lived intangible assets are impaired. If we conclude that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired, we then determine the fair value of the intangible asset and perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value with the carrying value in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset, we write the carrying value down to the fair value. We use the income approach to determine the fair values of our IPR&D. We base our revenue assumptions on estimates of relevant market sizes, expected market growth rates, expected trends in technology and expected levels of market share. In arriving at the value of the in-process projects, we consider, among other factors, the in-process projects’ stage of completion, the complexity of the work completed as of the acquisition date, the costs already incurred, the projected costs to complete, the contribution of other acquired assets, the expected regulatory path and introduction dates by region and the estimated useful life of the technology. See Note D – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for more information related to indefinite-lived intangibles, including IPR&D. For asset purchases outside of business combinations, we expense any purchased research and development assets as of the acquisition date. Amortization and Impairment of Intangible Assets We record definite-lived intangible assets at historical cost and amortize them over their estimated useful lives. We use a straight-line method of amortization, unless a method that better reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible asset are consumed or otherwise used up can be reliably determined. The approximate useful lives for amortization of our intangible assets are as follows: patents and licenses, two to 20 years; amortizable technology-related and customer relationships, five to 25 years; other intangible assets, various. We review intangible assets subject to amortization quarterly to determine if any adverse conditions exist or a change in circumstances has occurred that would indicate impairment or a change in the remaining useful life. Conditions that may indicate impairment include, but are not limited to, a significant adverse change in legal factors or business climate that could affect the value of an asset, a product recall or an adverse action or assessment by a regulator. If we determine it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired based on our qualitative assessment of impairment indicators, we test the intangible asset for recoverability. For purposes of the recoverability test, we group our amortizable intangible assets with other assets and liabilities at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows if the intangible asset does not generate cash flows independent of other assets and liabilities. If the carrying value of the intangible asset or asset group exceeds the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the intangible asset or asset group, we will write the carrying value down to fair value in the period impairment is identified. We calculate fair value of our intangible assets as the present value of estimated future cash flows we expect to generate from the asset. In determining our estimated future cash flows associated with our intangible assets, we use estimates and assumptions about future revenue contributions, cost structures and remaining useful lives of the asset or asset group. See Note D – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for more information related to impairments of intangible assets. For patents developed internally, we capitalize costs incurred to obtain patents, including attorney fees, registration fees, consulting fees and other expenditures directly related to securing the patent. Goodwill Valuation We allocate any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination to goodwill. We test our goodwill balances in the second quarter of each year as of April 1 for impairment, or more frequently if impairment indicators are present or changes in circumstances suggest an impairment may exist. We assess goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level, which is defined as an operating segment or one level below an operating segment, referred to as a component. For our 2020 annual impairment assessment, we identified the following reporting units: Interventional Cardiology, Peripheral Interventions, Cardiac Rhythm Management, Electrophysiology, Endoscopy, Urology and Pelvic Health, Neuromodulation and Specialty Pharmaceuticals. We aggregated the Cardiac Rhythm Management and Electrophysiology reporting units, components of the Rhythm Management operating segment, based on the criteria prescribed in FASB ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other. In the second quarter of 2020, we performed our annual goodwill impairment test utilizing the qualitative assessment approach to test all of our reporting units. We assessed recent events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as changes in macroeconomic factors, industry and market conditions, overall financial performance and other entity-specific factors since the most recently performed quantitative test. After assessing the totality of events, we determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of each of our reporting units has sufficient excess over its carrying value, and concluded that goodwill was not impaired or at risk of impairment. On December 1, 2020, we announced the execution of a definitive agreement pursuant to which we agreed to sell our Specialty Pharmaceuticals business (disposal group) for a purchase price of $800 million, subject to certain adjustments including cash on hand as of the closing date of the transaction. The sale is expected to close in the first half of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. We acquired our Specialty Pharmaceuticals business in conjunction with the BTG acquisition on August 19, 2019. In connection with the execution of a definitive agreement to sell the disposal group for a specified amount, we performed an impairment assessment of our goodwill and intangible assets, which resulted in a goodwill impairment of $73 million. As of December 31, 2020, we classified the remaining assets and liabilities of the disposal group as held for sale within our consolidated balance sheets at their respective carrying values, which approximates fair value, less cost to sell. Refer to Note D – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets to our consolidated financial statements for additional details related to our goodwill balances. Investments in Publicly Traded and Privately Held Entities For publicly-held equity securities for which we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence, we measure at fair value with changes in fair value recognized currently in Other, net within our accompanying consolidated statements of operations. For privately-held equity securities for which we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence, we apply the measurement alternative approach and measure these investments at cost minus impairment, if any, adjusted to fair value for any, observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. We account for investments in entities over which we have the ability to exercise significant influence under the equity method if we hold 50 percent or less of the voting stock and the entity is not a VIE in which we are the primary beneficiary in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 323, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures. We record these investments initially at cost and adjust the carrying amount to reflect our share of the earnings or losses of the investee, including all adjustments similar to those made in preparing consolidated financial statements. Lastly, we have notes receivable from certain companies that we account for in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 320, Investments - Debt and Equity Securities. Refer to Note B – Acquisitions and Strategic Investments for additional details on our investment balances. Each reporting period, we evaluate our investments to determine if there are any events or circumstances that are likely to have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. Examples of such impairment indicators include, but are not limited to, a significant deterioration in earnings performance, recent financing rounds at reduced valuations, a significant adverse change in the regulatory, economic or technological environment of an investee or a significant doubt about an investee’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we identify an impairment indicator, we will estimate the fair value of the investment and compare it to its carrying value. Our estimation of fair value considers financial information related to the investee available to us, including valuations based on recent third-party equity investments in the investee. For our investments for which we apply the measurement alternative, if the fair value of the investment is less than its carrying value, the investment is impaired and we recognize an impairment loss equal to the difference between an investment’s carrying value and its fair value. For our equity method investments, if we determine an impairment is other-than-temporary, we recognize an impairment loss equal to the difference between an investment’s carrying value and its fair value. We deem an impairment to be other-than-temporary unless available evidence indicates that the valuation is more likely than not to recover up to the carrying value of the investment in a reasonable period of time, and we have both the ability and intent to hold the investment for at least the period of time needed to recover the value. Net gains and losses and impairments associated with our investment portfolio are included in Other, net in our consolidated statements of operations. Income Taxes We utilize the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, we determine deferred tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of our assets and liabilities. We measure deferred tax assets and liabilities using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when we expect the differences to reverse. We reduce our deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if, based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that we will not realize some portion or all of the deferred tax assets. We consider relevant evidence, both positive and negative, to determine the need for a valuation allowance. Information evaluated includes our financial position and results of operations for the current and preceding years, the availability of deferred tax liabilities and tax carrybacks, as well as estimates of the impact of future taxable income and available prudent and feasible tax-planning strategies. We recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes as a component of income tax expense. As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), we are subject to a territorial tax system in which we are required to establish an accounting policy in providing for tax on Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (GILTI) earned by certain foreign subsidiaries. We have elected to treat the impact of GILTI as a period cost and report it as part of continuing operations. See Note J – Income Taxes for further information and discussion of our income tax provision and balances including a discussion of the impacts of the TCJA. Legal and Product Liability Costs In the normal course of business, we are involved in various legal and regulatory proceedings, including intellectual property, breach of contract, securities litigation and product liability suits. In some cases, the claimants seek damages, as well as other relief, which, if granted, could require significant expenditures or impact our ability to sell our products. We are also the subject of certain governmental investigations, which could result in substantial fines, penalties and administrative remedies. We maintain an insurance policy providing limited coverage against securities claims, and we are substantially self-insured with respect to product liability claims and fully self-insured with respect to intellectual property infringement claims. We accrue anticipated costs of settlement, damages, losses for product liability claims and, under certain conditions, costs of defense, based on historical experience or to the extent specific losses are probable and estimable. Otherwise, we expense these costs as incurred. If the estimate of a probable loss is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, we accrue our best estimate of the minimum amount of the range. We analyze litigation settlements to identify each element of the arrangement. We allocate arrangement consideration to patent licenses received based on estimates of fair value and capitalize these amounts as assets if the license will provide an ongoing future benefit. We record certain legal and product liability charges, credits and costs of defense, which we consider to be unusual or infrequent and significant as Litigation-related charges (credits) in our consolidated statements of operations; all other legal and product liability charges, credits and costs are recorded within Selling, general and administrative expenses within our consolidated statements of operations. See Note K – Commitments and Contingencies for discussion of our individual material legal proceedings. Costs Associated with Exit Activities We record employee termination costs in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 712, Compensation - Nonretirement and Postemployment Benefits, if we pay the benefits as part of an ongoing benefit arrangement, which includes benefits provided as part of our established severance policies or that we provide in accordance with international statutory requirements. We accrue employee termination costs associated with an ongoing benefit arrangement if the obligation is attributable to prior services rendered, the rights to the benefits have vested, the payment is probable and we can reasonably estimate the liability. We account for involuntary employee termination benefits that represent a one-time benefit in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations. We record such costs into expense over the employee’s future service period, if any. Other costs associated with exit activities may include contract termination costs and consulting fees, which are expensed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 420 and are included in Restructuring net charges (credits) in our consolidated statements of operations. Additionally, costs directly related to our active restructuring initiatives, including program management costs, accelerated depreciation, fixed asset write-offs and costs to transfer product lines among facilities are included within Costs of products sold and Selling, general and administrative expenses within our consolidated statements of operations. Impairment of right of use lease assets and lease termination costs directly related to our active restructuring initiatives are expensed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 842 and included within Costs of products sold or Selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations. See Note H – Restructuring-related Activities for further information and discussion of our restructuring plans. Translation of Foreign Currency We translate all assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries from the functional currency, which is generally the local currency, into U.S. dollars using the year-end exchange rate. We show the net effect of these translation adjustments in our consolidated financial statements as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax. We translate revenues and expenses at the average exchange rates in effect during the year. For any significant foreign subsidiaries located in highly inflationary economies, we would re-measure their financial statements as if the functional currency were the U.S. dollar. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in Other, net in our consolidated statements of operations, net of losses and gains from any related derivative financial instruments. Financial Instruments We recognize all derivative financial instruments in our consolidated financial statements at fair value in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and we present assets and liabilities associated with our derivative financial instruments on a gross basis in our financial statements. In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815, for those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the hedging instrument must be designated, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. The accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative instrument depends on whether it qualifies for, and has been designated as part of a hedging relationship, as well as on the type of hedging relationship. Our derivative instruments do not subject our earnings to material risk, as gains and losses on these derivatives generally offset gains and losses on the item being hedged, and we do not enter into derivative transactions for speculative purposes. Refer to Note E – Hedging Activities and Fair Value Measurements for more information on our hedging instruments. Shipping and Handling Costs We generally do not bill customers for shipping and handling of our products. We treat shipping and handling costs incurred after a customer obtains control of the good as a fulfillment cost and record in Selling, general and administrative expenses within our consolidated statements of operations. Shipping and handling costs were $146 million in 2020, $144 million in 2019 and $124 million in 2018. Research and Development We expense research and development (R&D) costs, including new product development programs, regulatory compliance and clinical research as incurred. Refer to Indefinite-lived Intangibles and IPR&D above for our policy regarding R&D projects acquired in connection with our business combinations and asset purchases.

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Boston Scientific Corporation and our wholly-owned subsidiaries, after the elimination of intercompany transactions. When used in this report, the terms "we," "us," "our" and "the Company" mean Boston Scientific Corporation and its divisions and subsidiaries. We assess the terms of our investment interests to determine if any of our investees meet the definition of a variable interest entity (VIE). For any VIEs, we perform an analysis to determine whether our variable interests give us a controlling financial interest. The analysis identifies the primary beneficiary of a VIE as the enterprise that has both 1) the power to direct activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and 2) the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the right to receive benefits from the entity. Based on our assessments under the applicable guidance, we did not have controlling financial interests in any VIEs and, therefore, did not consolidate any VIEs during 2020, 2019 or 2018.

We evaluate events occurring after the date of our accompanying consolidated balance sheets for potential recognition or disclosure in our consolidated financial statements. Those items requiring recognition in the financial statements have been recorded and disclosed accordingly. Those items requiring disclosure (non-recognized subsequent events) in the financial statements have been disclosed accordingly. Refer to Note B – Acquisitions and Strategic Investments, Note H – Restructuring-related Activities, Note K – Commitments and Contingencies and Note L – Stockholders' Equity for further details.

To prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, management makes estimates and assumptions that may affect the reported amounts of our assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent liabilities as of the date of our consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of our revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Our actual results may differ from these estimates. Refer to Critical Accounting Estimates included in Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of this Annual Report for further discussion.

We record Cash and cash equivalents in our consolidated balance sheets at cost, which approximates fair value. Our policy is to invest excess cash in short-term marketable securities earning a market rate of interest without assuming undue risk of loss of principal amounts invested and we limit our direct exposure to securities in any one industry or issuer. We consider to be cash equivalents all short-term marketable securities with remaining days to maturity of 90 days or less from the purchase date that can be readily converted to cash.

Restricted cash equivalents primarily represent amounts paid into various qualified settlement funds related to our ongoing transvaginal surgical mesh litigation and current amounts related to our non-qualified pension plan and are included in the Other current assets caption within our consolidated balance sheets. The restrictions related to the various qualified settlement funds will lapse as we approve amounts payable to claimants, at which time we no longer have rights to a return of the amounts paid into the various qualified settlement funds. Restricted cash equivalents included in the Other long-term assets caption within our consolidated balance sheets are related to deferred compensation plans.

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, derivative financial instruments and accounts and notes receivable. Our investment policy limits exposure to concentrations of credit risk and changes in market conditions. Counterparties to financial instruments expose us to credit-related losses in the event of nonperformance. We transact our financial instruments with a diversified group of major financial institutions with investment grade credit ratings and actively monitor their credit ratings and our outstanding positions to limit our credit exposure. In the normal course, our payment terms with customers, including hospitals, healthcare agencies, clinics, doctors' offices and other private and governmental institutions, are typically 30 days in the U.S. but may be longer in international markets and generally do not require collateral.

We record credit loss reserves to Allowance for credit losses when we establish Trade accounts receivable if credit losses are expected over the asset's contractual life. We base our estimates of credit loss reserves on historical experience and adjust, as necessary, to reflect current conditions using reasonable and supportable forecasts not already reflected in the historical loss information. We utilize an accounts receivable aging approach to determine the reserve to record at accounts receivable commencement for certain customers, applying country or region-specific factors. In performing the assessment of outstanding accounts receivable, regardless of country or region, we may consider significant factors relevant to collectability, including those specific to a customer such as bankruptcy, lengthy average payment cycles and type of account.

We write-off amounts determined to be uncollectible against this reserve. Write-offs of uncollectible accounts receivable were immaterial in 2020, 2019 and 2018. We are not dependent on any single institution, and no single customer accounted for more than ten percent of our net sales in 2020, 2019 and 2018; however, large group purchasing organizations, hospital networks, international distributors and dealers and other buying groups have become increasingly important to our business and represent a substantial portion of our net sales.

We closely monitor outstanding receivables for potential collection risks, including those that may arise from economic conditions, in both the U.S. and international economies. Our sales to government-owned or supported customers, particularly in southern Europe, are subject to an increased number of days outstanding prior to payment relative to other countries. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated an ongoing site-of-service trend of shifting procedure volumes toward non-hospital settings, particularly ambulatory surgery centers, driven by considerations surrounding costs, reimbursement policies, advances in minimally invasive treatments and remote patient monitoring. We have seen an increase in the volume of our U.S. business conducted in ambulatory surgery centers. Many of these customers are smaller than those we have historically done business with and may have limited liquidity. While certain ambulatory surgery centers are performing an increasing number of procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, others have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and mitigation measures. We have adjusted our estimates of credit loss reserves for these customers, regions and conditions, as appropriate. We believe our Allowance for credit losses is adequate as of December 31, 2020 and 2019; however, if significant changes were to occur in the payment practices of government customers, or if there is an increase in bankruptcies among our ambulatory surgery center customers, we may not be able to collect on receivables due to us from these customers, and our write-offs of uncollectible accounts may increase.

Transfer of control is evidenced upon passage of title and risk of loss to the customer unless we are required to provide additional services. We treat shipping and handling costs performed after a customer obtains control of the good as a fulfillment cost and record these costs as a selling expense when incurred. We recognize revenue from consignment arrangements based on product usage, or implant, which indicates that the sale is complete. We recognize a receivable at the point in time we have an unconditional right to payment. Payment terms are typically 30 days in the U.S. but may be longer in international markets.

We record a contract liability, or deferred revenue, when we have an obligation to provide a product or service to the customer and payment is received or due in advance of our performance. When we sell a device with a future service obligation, we defer revenue on the unfulfilled performance obligation and recognize this revenue over the related service period. Many of our Cardiac Rhythm Management product offerings combine the sale of a device with our LATITUDE™ Patient Management System, within our Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) business, which represents a future service obligation. Generally, we do not have observable evidence of the standalone selling price related to our future service obligations; therefore, we estimate the selling price using an expected cost plus a margin approach. We allocate the transaction price using the relative standalone selling price method. The use of alternative estimates could result in a different amount of revenue deferral.

Contract liabilities are classified within Other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities on our accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Our contractual liabilities are primarily composed of deferred revenue related to the LATITUDE Patient Management System. Revenue is recognized over the average service period which is based on device and patient longevity. Our contractual liabilities also include deferred revenue related to the LUX-Dx™ Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) system, also within our CRM business, for which revenue is recognized over the average service period based on device longevity and usage. We have elected not to disclose the transaction price allocated to unsatisfied performance obligations when the original expected contract duration is one year or less. In addition, we have not identified material unfulfilled performance obligations for which revenue is not currently deferred.

We generally allow our customers to return defective, damaged and, in certain cases, expired products for credit. We base our estimate for sales returns upon historical trends and record the amount as a reduction to revenue when we sell the initial product. In addition, we may allow customers to return previously purchased products for next-generation product offerings. For these transactions, we defer recognition of revenue on the sale of the earlier generation product based upon an estimate of the amount of product to be returned when the next-generation products are shipped to the customer. Uncertain timing of next-generation product approvals, variability in product launch strategies, product recalls and variation in product utilization all affect our estimates related to sales returns and could cause actual returns to differ from these estimates.

We also offer sales rebates and discounts to certain customers. We treat sales rebates and discounts as a reduction of revenue and classify the corresponding liability as current. We estimate rebates for products where there is sufficient historical information available to predict the volume of expected future rebates. If we are unable to reasonably estimate the expected rebates, we record a liability for the maximum rebate percentage offered. We have entered certain agreements with group purchasing organizations to sell our products to participating hospitals at negotiated prices. We recognize revenue from these agreements following the same revenue recognition criteria discussed above.

services at the time the devices are sold. We record these costs to Selling, general and administrative expenses within our consolidated statements of operations. We estimate the amount of time spent by our representatives performing these services and their compensation throughout the device life to determine the service cost. Changes to our business practice or the use of alternative estimates could result in a different amount of accrued cost.

We offer warranties on certain of our product offerings. The majority of our warranty liability relates to implantable devices offered by our CRM business, which include implantable defibrillator and pacemaker systems. These products come with a standard limited warranty covering the replacement of these devices. We offer a full warranty for a portion of the period post-implant and a partial warranty for a period of time thereafter. We estimate the costs that we may incur under our warranty programs based on the number of units sold, historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims and cost per claim and record a liability equal to these estimated costs as cost of products sold at the time the product sale occurs. We assess the adequacy of our recorded warranty liabilities on a quarterly basis and adjust these amounts as necessary.

We state inventories at the lower of first-in, first-out cost or net realizable value. We utilize a standard costing system, capitalizing variances between estimated and actual production costs during periods of normal production, and amortize to Cost of products sold over inventory turns. We expense manufacturing variances during periods of abnormal production, or less than 75 percent of manufacturing capacity. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded $149 million of abnormal manufacturing variances attributable to lower production levels resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and lower than forecasted demand for our products. We did not record any abnormal production variances during the years ended December 31, 2019 or 2018.

We base our provisions for excess, expired and obsolete inventory primarily on our estimates of forecasted net sales. A significant change in the timing or level of demand for our products as compared to forecasted amounts may result in recording additional provisions for excess, expired and obsolete inventory in the future. Further, the industry in which we participate is characterized by rapid product development and frequent new product introductions. Uncertain timing of next-generation product approvals, variability in product launch strategies, product recalls and variation in product utilization all affect our estimates related to excess, expired and obsolete inventory.

We state property, plant, equipment and leasehold improvements at historical cost. We charge expenditures for maintenance and repairs to expense and capitalize additions and improvements that extend the life of the underlying asset. We provide for depreciation using the straight-line method at rates that approximate the estimated useful lives of the assets. We depreciate buildings over a maximum life of 40 years; building improvements over the remaining useful life of the building structure; equipment, furniture and fixtures over a three to seven year life; and leasehold improvements over the shorter of the useful life of the improvement or the term of the related lease.

We allocate the amounts we pay for each acquisition to the assets we acquire and liabilities we assume based on their fair values at the date of acquisition, including identifiable intangible assets and in-process research and development (IPR&D), which either arise from a contractual or legal right or are separable from goodwill. We base the fair value of identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination, including IPR&D, on detailed valuations that use information and assumptions provided by management, which consider management’s best estimates of inputs and assumptions that a market participant would use. We allocate to goodwill any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired. Transaction costs associated with these acquisitions are expensed as incurred through Selling, general and administrative expenses.

In those circumstances where an acquisition involves a contingent consideration arrangement, we recognize a liability equal to the fair value of the contingent payments we expect to make as of the acquisition date. We re-measure this liability each reporting period and record changes in the fair value through Contingent consideration net expense (benefit) on our consolidated statements of operations. Increases or decreases in the fair value of the contingent consideration liability can result from changes in discount rates, periods, timing and amount of projected revenue or timing or likelihood of achieving regulatory, revenue or commercialization-based milestones. Payment of additional consideration is generally contingent on the acquired company reaching certain performance milestones after the acquisition date, including attaining specified revenue

Our indefinite-lived intangible assets, which are not subject to amortization, include acquired balloon and other technology, which is foundational to our ongoing operations within our Cardiovascular and MedSurg businesses, and IPR&D intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Our IPR&D represents intangible assets that are used in research and development activities but have not yet reached technological feasibility, regardless of whether they have alternative future use. The primary basis for determining the technological feasibility or completion of these projects is obtaining regulatory approval to market the underlying products in an applicable geographic region. We classify IPR&D as an indefinite-lived intangible asset until the completion or abandonment of the associated research and development efforts. Upon completion of the associated research and development efforts, we will determine the useful life of the technology and begin amortizing the assets to reflect their use over their remaining lives. Upon permanent abandonment, we write-off the remaining carrying amount of the associated IPR&D intangible asset.

We test our indefinite-lived intangible assets at least annually during the third quarter for impairment and reassess their classification as indefinite-lived assets. In addition, we review our indefinite-lived intangible assets for classification and impairment more frequently if impairment indicators exist. We assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that our indefinite-lived intangible assets are impaired. If we conclude that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired, we then determine the fair value of the intangible asset and perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value with the carrying value in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset, we write the carrying value down to the fair value.

We use the income approach to determine the fair values of our IPR&D. We base our revenue assumptions on estimates of relevant market sizes, expected market growth rates, expected trends in technology and expected levels of market share. In arriving at the value of the in-process projects, we consider, among other factors, the in-process projects’ stage of completion, the complexity of the work completed as of the acquisition date, the costs already incurred, the projected costs to complete, the contribution of other acquired assets, the expected regulatory path and introduction dates by region and the estimated useful life of the technology. See Note D – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for more information related to indefinite-lived intangibles, including IPR&D.

We record definite-lived intangible assets at historical cost and amortize them over their estimated useful lives. We use a straight-line method of amortization, unless a method that better reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible asset are consumed or otherwise used up can be reliably determined. The approximate useful lives for amortization of our intangible assets are as follows: patents and licenses, two to 20 years; amortizable technology-related and customer relationships, five to 25 years; other intangible assets, various.

We review intangible assets subject to amortization quarterly to determine if any adverse conditions exist or a change in circumstances has occurred that would indicate impairment or a change in the remaining useful life. Conditions that may indicate impairment include, but are not limited to, a significant adverse change in legal factors or business climate that could affect the value of an asset, a product recall or an adverse action or assessment by a regulator. If we determine it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired based on our qualitative assessment of impairment indicators, we test the intangible asset for recoverability. For purposes of the recoverability test, we group our amortizable intangible assets with other assets and liabilities at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows if the intangible asset does not generate cash flows independent of other assets and liabilities. If the carrying value of the intangible asset or asset group exceeds the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the intangible asset or asset group, we will write the carrying value down to fair value in the period impairment is identified.

We calculate fair value of our intangible assets as the present value of estimated future cash flows we expect to generate from the asset. In determining our estimated future cash flows associated with our intangible assets, we use estimates and assumptions about future revenue contributions, cost structures and remaining useful lives of the asset or asset group. See Note D – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for more information related to impairments of intangible assets.

We assess goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level, which is defined as an operating segment or one level below an operating segment, referred to as a component. For our 2020 annual impairment assessment, we identified the following reporting units: Interventional Cardiology, Peripheral Interventions, Cardiac Rhythm Management, Electrophysiology, Endoscopy, Urology and Pelvic Health, Neuromodulation and Specialty Pharmaceuticals. We aggregated the Cardiac Rhythm Management and Electrophysiology reporting units, components of the Rhythm Management operating segment, based on the criteria prescribed in FASB ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other.

In the second quarter of 2020, we performed our annual goodwill impairment test utilizing the qualitative assessment approach to test all of our reporting units. We assessed recent events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as changes in macroeconomic factors, industry and market conditions, overall financial performance and other entity-specific factors since the most recently performed quantitative test. After assessing the totality of events, we determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of each of our reporting units has sufficient excess over its carrying value, and concluded that goodwill was not impaired or at risk of impairment.

On December 1, 2020, we announced the execution of a definitive agreement pursuant to which we agreed to sell our Specialty Pharmaceuticals business (disposal group) for a purchase price of $800 million, subject to certain adjustments including cash on hand as of the closing date of the transaction. The sale is expected to close in the first half of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. We acquired our Specialty Pharmaceuticals business in conjunction with the BTG acquisition on August 19, 2019. In connection with the execution of a definitive agreement to sell the disposal group for a specified amount, we performed an impairment assessment of our goodwill and intangible assets, which resulted in a goodwill impairment of $73 million. As of December 31, 2020, we classified the remaining assets and liabilities of the disposal group as held for sale within our consolidated balance sheets at their respective carrying values, which approximates fair value, less cost to sell. Refer to Note D – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets to our consolidated financial statements for additional details related to our goodwill balances.

For publicly-held equity securities for which we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence, we measure at fair value with changes in fair value recognized currently in Other, net within our accompanying consolidated statements of operations. For privately-held equity securities for which we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence, we apply the measurement alternative approach and measure these investments at cost minus impairment, if any, adjusted to fair value for any, observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. We account for investments in entities over which we have the ability to exercise significant influence under the equity method if we hold 50 percent or less of the voting stock and the entity is not a VIE in which we are the primary beneficiary in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 323, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures. We record these investments initially at cost and adjust the carrying amount to reflect our share of the earnings or losses of the investee, including all adjustments similar to those made in preparing consolidated financial statements. Lastly, we have notes receivable from certain companies that we account for in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 320, Investments - Debt and Equity Securities. Refer to Note B – Acquisitions and Strategic Investments for additional details on our investment balances.

Each reporting period, we evaluate our investments to determine if there are any events or circumstances that are likely to have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. Examples of such impairment indicators include, but are not limited to, a significant deterioration in earnings performance, recent financing rounds at reduced valuations, a significant adverse change in the regulatory, economic or technological environment of an investee or a significant doubt about an investee’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we identify an impairment indicator, we will estimate the fair value of the investment and compare it to its carrying value. Our estimation of fair value considers financial information related to the investee available to us, including valuations based on recent third-party equity investments in the investee. For our investments for which we apply the measurement alternative, if the fair value of the investment is less than its carrying value, the investment

is impaired and we recognize an impairment loss equal to the difference between an investment’s carrying value and its fair value. For our equity method investments, if we determine an impairment is other-than-temporary, we recognize an impairment loss equal to the difference between an investment’s carrying value and its fair value. We deem an impairment to be other-than-temporary unless available evidence indicates that the valuation is more likely than not to recover up to the carrying value of the investment in a reasonable period of time, and we have both the ability and intent to hold the investment for at least the period of time needed to recover the value.

We utilize the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, we determine deferred tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of our assets and liabilities. We measure deferred tax assets and liabilities using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when we expect the differences to reverse. We reduce our deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if, based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that we will not realize some portion or all of the deferred tax assets. We consider relevant evidence, both positive and negative, to determine the need for a valuation allowance. Information evaluated includes our financial position and results of operations for the current and preceding years, the availability of deferred tax liabilities and tax carrybacks, as well as estimates of the impact of future taxable income and available prudent and feasible tax-planning strategies. We recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes as a component of income tax expense. As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), we are subject to a territorial tax system in which we are required to establish an accounting policy in providing for tax on Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (GILTI) earned by certain foreign subsidiaries. We have elected to treat the impact of GILTI as a period cost and report it as part of continuing operations. See Note J – Income Taxes for further information and discussion of our income tax provision and balances including a discussion of the impacts of the TCJA.

In the normal course of business, we are involved in various legal and regulatory proceedings, including intellectual property, breach of contract, securities litigation and product liability suits. In some cases, the claimants seek damages, as well as other relief, which, if granted, could require significant expenditures or impact our ability to sell our products. We are also the subject of certain governmental investigations, which could result in substantial fines, penalties and administrative remedies. We maintain an insurance policy providing limited coverage against securities claims, and we are substantially self-insured with respect to product liability claims and fully self-insured with respect to intellectual property infringement claims. We accrue anticipated costs of settlement, damages, losses for product liability claims and, under certain conditions, costs of defense, based on historical experience or to the extent specific losses are probable and estimable. Otherwise, we expense these costs as incurred. If the estimate of a probable loss is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, we accrue our best estimate of the minimum amount of the range. We analyze litigation settlements to identify each element of the arrangement. We allocate arrangement consideration to patent licenses received based on estimates of fair value and capitalize these amounts as assets if the license will provide an ongoing future benefit. We record certain legal and product liability charges, credits and costs of defense, which we consider to be unusual or infrequent and significant as Litigation-related charges (credits) in our consolidated statements of operations; all other legal and product liability charges, credits and costs are recorded within Selling, general and administrative expenses within our consolidated statements of operations. See Note K – Commitments and Contingencies for discussion of our individual material legal proceedings.

We record employee termination costs in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 712, Compensation - Nonretirement and Postemployment Benefits, if we pay the benefits as part of an ongoing benefit arrangement, which includes benefits provided as part of our established severance policies or that we provide in accordance with international statutory requirements. We accrue employee termination costs associated with an ongoing benefit arrangement if the obligation is attributable to prior services rendered, the rights to the benefits have vested, the payment is probable and we can reasonably estimate the liability. We account for involuntary employee termination benefits that represent a one-time benefit in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations. We record such costs into expense over the employee’s future service period, if any.

Other costs associated with exit activities may include contract termination costs and consulting fees, which are expensed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 420 and are included in Restructuring net charges (credits) in our consolidated statements of operations. Additionally, costs directly related to our active restructuring initiatives, including program management costs, accelerated depreciation, fixed asset write-offs and costs to transfer product lines among facilities are included within Costs of

products sold and Selling, general and administrative expenses within our consolidated statements of operations. Impairment of right of use lease assets and lease termination costs directly related to our active restructuring initiatives are expensed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 842 and included within Costs of products sold or Selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations. See Note H – Restructuring-related Activities for further information and discussion of our restructuring plans.

We translate all assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries from the functional currency, which is generally the local currency, into U.S. dollars using the year-end exchange rate. We show the net effect of these translation adjustments in our consolidated financial statements as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax. We translate revenues and expenses at the average exchange rates in effect during the year. For any significant foreign subsidiaries located in highly inflationary economies, we would re-measure their financial statements as if the functional currency were the U.S. dollar.

We recognize all derivative financial instruments in our consolidated financial statements at fair value in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and we present assets and liabilities associated with our derivative financial instruments on a gross basis in our financial statements. In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815, for those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the hedging instrument must be designated, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. The accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative instrument depends on whether it qualifies for, and has been designated as part of a hedging relationship, as well as on the type of hedging relationship. Our derivative instruments do not subject our earnings to material risk, as gains and losses on these derivatives generally offset gains and losses on the item being hedged, and we do not enter into derivative transactions for speculative purposes. Refer to Note E – Hedging Activities and Fair Value Measurements for more information on our hedging instruments.

We generally do not bill customers for shipping and handling of our products. We treat shipping and handling costs incurred after a customer obtains control of the good as a fulfillment cost and record in Selling, general and administrative expenses within our consolidated statements of operations. Shipping and handling costs were $146 million in 2020, $144 million in 2019 and $124 million in 2018.