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QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) - Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement
Net income attributable to Baxter stockholders	$ (23)	$ 369	$ 313	$ 342	$ 305	$ 518	$ 341	$ 382	$ 655	$ 723	$ 1,001	$ 1,546	$ 602
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Currency translation adjustments			2	(97)			(368)	63	(95)	(305)	(95)	(323)	599
Pension and other postretirement benefit plans			6	14			28	57	20	85	408	33	134
Hedging activities			(12)	(15)			11	(5)	(27)	6		9	(13)
Other comprehensive income (loss)			(4)	(98)			(329)	115	(102)	(214)	274	(281)	722
Comprehensive income			309	244			12	497	553	509	$ 1,285	1,265	1,324
As previously reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement
Net income attributable to Baxter stockholders			343	347			343	389	690	732		1,624	717
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Currency translation adjustments			(78)	30			(363)	81	(48)	(282)		(461)	425
Pension and other postretirement benefit plans			13	8			29	52	21	81		32	141
Hedging activities			(12)	(15)			11	(5)	(27)	6		9	(13)
Other comprehensive income (loss)			(77)	23			(323)	128	(54)	(195)		(420)	555
Comprehensive income			266	370			20	517	636	537		1,204	1,272
Restatement impacts
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement
Net income attributable to Baxter stockholders			(30)	(5)			(2)	(7)	(35)	(9)		(78)	(115)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Currency translation adjustments			80	(127)			(5)	(18)	(47)	(23)		138	174
Pension and other postretirement benefit plans			(7)	6			(1)	5	(1)	4		1	7
Hedging activities			0	0			0	0	0	0		0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)			73	(121)			(6)	(13)	(48)	(19)		139	167
Comprehensive income			43	(126)			(8)	(20)	(83)	(28)		61	52
Restatement impacts \| Foreign Exchange Rate Used To Translate
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Currency translation adjustments			(54)	132			$ 5	27	78	32		74	78
Restatement impacts \| Offsetting Balance Sheet Impact Adjustments
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Currency translation adjustments			$ (26)	$ 5				$ 9	$ (31)	$ 9		$ 64	$ 96