QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Operating revenues	$ 3,445,817,000	$ 3,457,783,000	$ 3,517,796,000	$ 3,691,967,000	[1]	$ 3,129,156,000	$ 2,975,543,000	$ 3,033,046,000	[2]	$ 3,048,938,000	$ 14,113,363,000	$ 12,186,683,000	$ 11,587,916,000
Operating earnings	178,534,000	159,478,000	145,203,000	276,476,000	[1]	148,943,000	192,613,000	355,101,000	[2]	171,473,000	759,691,000	868,130,000	689,285,000
Earnings before income taxes	191,086,000	167,078,000	151,018,000	275,353,000	[1]	143,557,000	187,299,000	356,341,000	[2]	170,904,000
Net earnings	119,341,000	105,259,000	91,743,000	170,719,000	[1]	85,696,000	122,681,000	224,495,000	[2]	110,233,000	487,063,000	543,105,000	438,616,000
Basic earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.89	$ 0.79	$ 0.65	$ 1.21	[1]	$ 0.60	$ 0.84	$ 1.51	[2]	$ 0.74	$ 3.54	$ 3.70	$ 2.96
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.88	$ 0.78	$ 0.65	$ 1.20	[1]	$ 0.60	$ 0.83	$ 1.50	[2]	$ 0.73	$ 3.52	$ 3.67	$ 2.94
RADV Release				133,000,000							132,977,000	0	0
Amount released in settlement of legal matter								$ 159,300,000

[1] During the quarter ended March 31, 2012, CMS announced which contract years are subject to the CMS RADV audits and other core areas of the audit methodology. As a result of these changes, the Company recorded a non-recurring pre-tax adjustment to earnings of $133.0 million during the first quarter of 2012. See Note A, Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.

[2] On May 27, 2011, the court entered an order of final approval of a settlement and, accordingly, the Company recorded a non-recurring pre-tax adjustment that increased earnings of $159.3 million in the second quarter of 2011.