RESTATEMENT OF PREVIOUSLY ISSUED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (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
Cash flows from operations
Net income attributable to Baxter stockholders	$ (23)	$ 369	$ 313	$ 342	$ 305	$ 518	$ 341	$ 382	$ 655	$ 723	$ 1,001	$ 1,546	$ 602
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to net cash from operating activities:
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax					6	0	0	0		0	0	6	7
Depreciation and amortization				192				190	385	382	789	771	750
Settlement charge	755										(755)	(1)	(2)
Net periodic pension benefit and other postretirement costs				3				10	7	21	22	39	123
Deferred income taxes				(6)				(38)	(63)	(51)	(310)	(263)	211
Stock compensation				22				20	57	54	122	115	107
Other				14				(1)	44	0	115	50	38
Changes in balance sheet items:
Accounts receivable, net				32				76	(60)	43	(65)	(12)	30
Inventories				(82)				(56)	(91)	(134)	4	(197)	76
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities				(335)				(119)	(299)	(124)	(212)	60	11
Other				(48)				(34)	(86)	(82)	(152)	(99)	(227)
Cash flows from operations – continuing operations				134					580		2,110	2,017	1,730
Cash flows from operations - discontinued operations				(6)					(6)		(6)	0	(16)
Cash flows from operations				128				430	574	832	2,104	2,017	1,714
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures				(193)				(152)	(338)	(303)	(696)	(659)	(616)
Acquisitions and investments, net of cash acquired				(109)				(219)	(111)	(228)	(418)	(268)	(686)
Other investing activities, net				1					1		14	11	10
Cash flows from investing activities				(301)				(371)	(448)	(531)	(1,100)	(916)	(1,292)
Cash flows from financing activities
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Common Stock				101				87	198	173	423	376	315
Proceeds from stock issued under employee benefit plans											356	258	347
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock				597				522	720	781	1,270	2,452	564
Other financing activities, net				(32)				(18)	(37)	(24)	(48)	(33)	(40)
Cash flows from financing activities				238				(545)	968	(808)	498	(2,603)	93
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents				(1)				32	2	(38)	(5)	(63)	102
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents				64				(454)	1,096	(545)	1,497	(1,565)	617
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		2,934	1,902	1,838		2,858	2,949	3,403	1,838	3,403	1,838	3,403	2,786
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	3,335		2,934	1,902	1,838		2,858	2,949	2,934	2,858	3,335	1,838	3,403
Other supplemental information
Interest paid, net of portion capitalized											103	94	80
Income taxes paid											294	301	253
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Common Stock				101				87	198	173	423	376	315
As previously reported
Cash flows from operations
Net income attributable to Baxter stockholders			343	347			343	389	690	732		1,624	717
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to net cash from operating activities:
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax					6							6	7
Depreciation and amortization				195				192	393	387		785	761
Settlement charge												(1)	2
Net periodic pension benefit and other postretirement costs				3				10	7	21		39	123
Deferred income taxes				(6)				(33)	(55)	(51)		(267)	211
Stock compensation				22				20	57	54		115	107
Other				19				2	34	10		43	43
Changes in balance sheet items:
Accounts receivable, net				32				76	(60)	43		(12)	30
Inventories				(82)				(56)	(91)	(134)		(197)	76
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities				(333)				(120)	(303)	(126)		64	5
Other				(49)				(33)	(86)	(84)		(105)	(229)
Cash flows from operations – continuing operations				148					617				1,853
Cash flows from operations - discontinued operations				(6)					(6)				(16)
Cash flows from operations				142				447	611	852		2,096	1,837
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures				(198)				(155)	(352)	(311)		(681)	(634)
Acquisitions and investments, net of cash acquired				(109)				(219)	(111)	(228)		(268)	(686)
Other investing activities, net				1					1			11	10
Cash flows from investing activities				(306)				(374)	(462)	(539)		(938)	(1,310)
Cash flows from financing activities
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Common Stock				101				87	198	173		376	315
Proceeds from stock issued under employee benefit plans												258
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock				597				522	720	781		2,452	564
Other financing activities, net				(32)				(18)	(37)	(24)		(33)	(40)
Cash flows from financing activities				238				(545)	968	(808)		(2,603)	61
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents				2				25	(24)	(42)		(117)	5
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents				76				(447)	1,093	(537)		(1,562)	593
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		2,925	1,908	1,832		2,857	2,947	3,394	1,832	3,394	1,832	3,394	2,801
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year			2,925	1,908	1,832		2,857	2,947	2,925	2,857		1,832	3,394
Other supplemental information
Interest paid, net of portion capitalized												94	80
Income taxes paid												302	255
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Common Stock				101				87	198	173		376	315
As previously reported | Translation of the Financial Position and Results of Operations of our Foreign Operations into U.S. Dollars
Cash flows from financing activities
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year								15		15		15
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year													15
Restatement impacts
Cash flows from operations
Net income attributable to Baxter stockholders			(30)	(5)			(2)	(7)	(35)	(9)		(78)	(115)
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to net cash from operating activities:
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax					0							0	0
Depreciation and amortization				(3)				(2)	(8)	(5)		(14)	(11)
Settlement charge												0	0
Net periodic pension benefit and other postretirement costs				0				0	0	0		0	0
Deferred income taxes				0				(5)	(8)	0		4	0
Stock compensation				0				0	0	0		0	0
Other				(5)				(3)	10	(10)		7	(5)
Changes in balance sheet items:
Accounts receivable, net				0				0	0	0		0	0
Inventories				0				0	0	0		0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities				(2)				1	4	2		(4)	6
Other				1				(1)	0	2		6	2
Cash flows from operations – continuing operations				(14)					(37)				(123)
Cash flows from operations - discontinued operations				0					0				0
Cash flows from operations				(14)				(17)	(37)	(20)		(79)	(123)
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures				5				3	14	8		22	18
Acquisitions and investments, net of cash acquired				0				0	0	0		0	0
Other investing activities, net				0					0			0	0
Cash flows from investing activities				5				3	14	8		22	18
Cash flows from financing activities
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Common Stock				0				0	0	0		0	0
Proceeds from stock issued under employee benefit plans												0
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock				0				0	0	0		0	0
Other financing activities, net				0				0	0	0		0	0
Cash flows from financing activities				0				0	0	0		0	32
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents				(3)				7	26	4		54	97
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents				(12)				(7)	3	(8)		(3)	24
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		9	(6)	6		1	2	9	6	9	6	9	(15)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year			9	(6)	6		1	2	9	1		6	9
Other supplemental information
Interest paid, net of portion capitalized												0	0
Income taxes paid												(1)	(2)
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Common Stock				0				0	0	0		0	0
Restatement impacts | Foreign Currency Denominated Monetary Assets and Liabilities
Cash flows from financing activities
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents				4				11	33	2		64	99
Restatement impacts | Foreign Currency Derivative Contracts
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to net cash from operating activities:
Other								(2)
Changes in balance sheet items:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities				1				1	4	2
Other				1
Restatement impacts | Foreign Currency Derivative Contracts | Foreign exchange contract
Changes in balance sheet items:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities												4	6
Other												1	8
Restatement impacts | Equipment Leased to Customers under Operating Leases
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization				3				2	7	5		11	10
Deferred income taxes									2	1		3	3
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures				(5)				(3)	(14)	(8)		(22)	(18)
Restatement impacts | Correction of Classification of Foreign Currency Gains and Losses in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to net cash from operating activities:
Other				(5)				(3)	(10)	(10)
Cash flows from financing activities
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents												7	6
Restatement impacts | Translation of the Financial Position and Results of Operations of our Foreign Operations into U.S. Dollars
Changes in balance sheet items:
Other				(1)				3	1	2		4	3
Cash flows from financing activities
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents				12				7	3	8		3	24
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		$ 9	6	6		$ 1	2	9	6	9	6	9
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$ 6		$ 9	6	$ 6		$ 1	2	9	1	$ 6	6	9
Other supplemental information
Income taxes paid												1	2
Restatement impacts | Other Miscellaneous Adjustments to Cash Flows [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization									1			3	1
Deferred income taxes								5	6	$ 1		7
Other													$ (1)
Changes in balance sheet items:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities				1				$ 2
Other				$ 1					$ 1			$ 3