TAXES ON INCOME (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	May 13, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Income (loss) from continuing operations - domestic			$ 1,000	$ 1,100	$ 1,100
Income (loss) from continuing operations - foreign			(7)	4	11
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)			9	37	112
Current federal tax expense (benefit)			226	346	231
Current state and local income tax expense			5	45	27
Current foreign income tax expense			1	1	3
Defered federal income tax expense (benefit)			(20)	33	104
Deferred state and local income tax expense (benefit)			27	4	7
Deferred foreign income tax expense (benefit)			2	0	1
Total			$ 241	$ 429	$ 373
Tax provision at statutory rate			35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State and local income taxes, net of federal benefit			3.80%	3.30%	2.60%
Gains and losses on book and tax basis difference			(0.10%)	3.30%	(2.70%)
Impact of noncontrolling interests			(1.90%)	(1.80%)	(1.60%)
Impact of equity earnings			1.10%	1.00%	0.70%
Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation arrangements			(3.60%)	(0.80%)	(0.00%)
Return to provision true-ups			(2.00%)	(0.80%)	(0.20%)
Impact of TCJA enactment			(10.40%)	0.00%	0.00%
Other, net			1.50%	0.30%	0.00%
Effective tax rate			23.40%	39.50%	33.80%
Accounts receivable reserves		$ 63	$ 63	$ 94
Liabilities not currently deductible non-current DTA		129	129	189
Stock-based compensation		41	41	58
Basis differences in investments, joint ventures and subsidiaries		(79)	(79)	(87)
Net operating loss carryfowards, net of valuation allowance		83	83	120
Non-current deferred tax liability - depreciation and amortization		(403)	(403)	(533)
Total non-current deferred tax liabilities, net		(166)	(166)	(159)
Total non-current deferred tax assets		4	4	32
Total non-current deferred tax liabilities		170	170	191
Operating loss carryforwards		155	155	204	$ 222
Deferred tax assets, valuation allowance		57	57	56	54
Income taxes payable		82	82	62
Prepaid taxes		37	37	14
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning balance			98	91	122
Additions for tax positions of current year			5	3	5
Additions for tax positions of prior years			23	12	5
Reductions for changes in judgment			(2)	(1)	(11)
Reductions for expirations of statutes of limitations			(6)	(7)	(3)
Reductions for settlements			(3)	0	(27)
Unrecognized tax benefits, ending balance		115	115	98	91
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate		64	64
Significant change in unrecognized tax benefits is reasonably possible, estimated range of change, upper bound		35	35
Unrecognized tax Benefits, interest on income taxes expense			1	2	0
Unrecognized tax benefits, interest on income taxes accrued		13	13	12
Domestic Country [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, income tax expense (benefit)		(106)	(106)
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, deferred tax expense (benefit)		(115)	(115)
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, current income tax expense (benefit)		9	9
Net operating loss carryforwards		184	184
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards		1,300	1,300
Foreign Country [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards		$ 68	$ 68
Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)					(58)
Q² Solutions [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)					$ 145
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Focus Diagnostics Products [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Taxes payable, current				91
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)	$ (7)			(7)
Total	$ 84			$ 84
Effective tax rate	71.40%