BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		20 Months Ended				0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	May 17, 2011	Mar. 17, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011 Athena [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Athena [Member]	Apr. 04, 2011 Athena [Member]	May 04, 2011 Celera [Member]	Mar. 17, 2011 Celera [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Celera [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Celera [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Celera [Member]	Jan. 06, 2012 SED Medical Laboratories [Member]	Apr. 04, 2011 March 2011 Senior Notes [Member] Athena [Member]	May 04, 2011 Credit Facilities [Member] Celera [Member]	May 04, 2011 Outlicensed Technology [Member] Celera [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Technology [Member]	Apr. 04, 2011 Technology [Member] Athena [Member]	May 04, 2011 Technology [Member] Celera [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Non-compete Agreements [Member]	Apr. 04, 2011 Non-compete Agreements [Member] Athena [Member]	Apr. 04, 2011 Tradenames [Member] Athena [Member]	May 04, 2011 Tradenames [Member] Celera [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Customer-Related Intangibles [Member]	Apr. 04, 2011 Customer-Related Intangibles [Member] Athena [Member]	May 04, 2011 Customer-Related Intangibles [Member] Celera [Member]	Apr. 04, 2011 Informatics Database [Member] Athena [Member]	May 04, 2011 Intangible Assets Not Subject to Amortization - In-Process Research and Development [Member] Celera [Member]
Business Acquisition, Debt and Intangible Assets [Line Items]
All-cash purchase price								$ 740,000,000	$ 670,000,000						$ 740,000,000	$ 670,000,000
Business acquisition, revenue reported by acquired entity for last annual period							110,000,000					128,000,000
Acquisition related transaction costs			15,100,000	4,700,000		8,200,000					8,700,000
Cash and cash equivalents									112,312,000
Short-term marketable securities									213,418,000
Accounts receivable								17,853,000	16,810,000
Other current assets								13,427,000	26,796,000
Property, plant and equipment								3,038,000	11,091,000
Intangible assets								220,040,000	85,830,000					19,000,000			46,450,000		92,580,000	21,730,000		37,000,000	34,520,000	5,400,000		21,420,000	6,750,000	34,520,000	5,500,000
Goodwill								563,974,000	135,624,000
Non-current deferred income taxes (assets)									102,838,000
Other assets								135,000	34,586,000
Total assets acquired								818,467,000	739,305,000
Current liabilities								8,511,000	59,008,000
Non-current deferred income taxes (liabilities)								69,956,000
Long-term liabilities									10,717,000
Total liabilities assumed								78,467,000	69,725,000
Net assets acquired								740,000,000	669,580,000
Weighted average amortization period																	6 years	14 years	16 years	8 years	4 years	4 years	10 years	5 years	19 years	20 years	9 years	10 years
Total acquired amortizable intangibles								220,040,000	80,330,000
Cost of acquired entity, purchase price														50,500,000
Goodwill deductible for tax purposes								42,000,000	28,000,000					28,000,000
Purchase price net of cash and ST marketable securities										344,000,000
Acquired cash and short-term marketable securities										326,000,000
Future tax benefits of acquired company										110,000,000
Cash tender offer price per share		$ 8
Right to receive for remaining untendered shares, per share	$ 8
Cash consideration paid													669,000,000
Remaining merger consideration to be paid					1,000,000
Financing related costs			800,000	2,400,000							3,100,000
Goodwill acquired and allocated to DIS business									$ 104,000,000