RESTATEMENT OF PREVIOUSLY ISSUED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Consolidated Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 3,009		$ 1,838
Accounts receivable, net	1,814		1,840
Inventories	1,715		1,667
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	672		614
Total current assets	7,210		5,959
Property, plant and equipment, net	4,406		4,530
Goodwill	2,847		3,002
Other intangible assets, net	1,365		1,410
Other non-current assets	882		819
Total assets	17,299		15,720
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt	0		2
Current maturities of long-term debt and finance lease obligations	2		2
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	2,609		2,810
Total current liabilities	2,611		2,814
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations	5,063		3,481
Other non-current liabilities	1,514		1,559
Total liabilities	9,682		7,854
Equity:
Common stock	683		683
Common stock in treasury, at cost	(10,582)		(9,989)
Additional contributed capital	5,926		5,898
Retained earnings	15,849		15,075
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	(4,288)		(3,823)
Total Baxter stockholders’ equity	7,588		7,844
Noncontrolling interests	29		22
Total equity	7,617	$ 7,803	7,866	$ 9,090	$ 8,830	$ 9,109
Total liabilities and equity	$ 17,299		$ 15,720
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 1		$ 1
Common stock, authorized (in shares)	2,000,000,000		2,000,000,000
Common stock, issued (in shares)	683,494,944		683,494,944
Treasury stock, common (in shares)			170,495,859
Translation of the Financial Position and Results of Operations of our Foreign Operations into U.S. Dollars
Current assets:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			$ 2
As previously reported
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents			1,832
Accounts receivable, net			1,812
Inventories			1,653
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			622
Total current assets			5,919
Property, plant and equipment, net			4,542
Goodwill			2,958
Other intangible assets, net			1,398
Other non-current assets			824
Total assets			15,641
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt			2
Current maturities of long-term debt and finance lease obligations			2
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			2,832
Total current liabilities			2,836
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations			3,473
Other non-current liabilities			1,516
Total liabilities			7,825
Equity:
Common stock			683
Common stock in treasury, at cost			(9,989)
Additional contributed capital			5,898
Retained earnings			15,626
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income			(4,424)
Total Baxter stockholders’ equity			7,794
Noncontrolling interests			22
Total equity			7,816	9,113	8,869	9,116
Total liabilities and equity			15,641
Restatement impacts
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents			6
Accounts receivable, net			28
Inventories			14
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			(8)
Total current assets			40
Property, plant and equipment, net			(12)
Goodwill			44
Other intangible assets, net			12
Other non-current assets			(5)
Total assets			79
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt			0
Current maturities of long-term debt and finance lease obligations			0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(22)
Total current liabilities			(22)
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations			8
Other non-current liabilities			43
Total liabilities			29
Equity:
Common stock			0
Common stock in treasury, at cost			0
Additional contributed capital			0
Retained earnings			(551)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income			601
Total Baxter stockholders’ equity			50
Noncontrolling interests			0
Total equity			50	$ (23)	$ (39)	$ (7)
Total liabilities and equity			79
Restatement impacts | Foreign Currency Denominated Monetary Assets and Liabilities
Current assets:
Other non-current assets			8
Current liabilities:
Other non-current liabilities			13
Equity:
Retained earnings			487
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income			482
Restatement impacts | Equipment Leased to Customers under Operating Leases
Current assets:
Property, plant and equipment, net			53
Other non-current assets			10
Current liabilities:
Other non-current liabilities			5
Equity:
Retained earnings			38
Restatement impacts | Translation of the Financial Position and Results of Operations of our Foreign Operations into U.S. Dollars
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents			6
Accounts receivable, net			22
Inventories			19
Property, plant and equipment, net			41
Goodwill			44
Other intangible assets, net			13
Other non-current assets			6
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			24
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations			8
Other non-current liabilities			19
Equity:
Retained earnings			17
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income			119
Restatement impacts | Other miscellaneous adjustments
Current assets:
Accounts receivable, net			6
Inventories			5
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			12
Other intangible assets, net			1
Other non-current assets			29
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			47
Other non-current liabilities			16
Equity:
Retained earnings			10
Restatement impacts | Foreign exchange contracts | Foreign Currency Derivative Contracts
Current assets:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			2
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			1
Equity:
Retained earnings			$ 1