1.0.0.3 false Consolidated Statements of Income (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data false 1 $ false false Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 2 $ false false Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 3 $ false false Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 2 Consolidated Statements of Income 0 us-gaap_IncomeStatementAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 3 Product net revenues (Includes retail co-payments of $8,661 for 2009, $7,666 for 2008, and $7,553 for 2007) 1 us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 58961400000 58961.4 false false 2 true true 50576200000 50576.2 false false 3 true true 43961900000 43961.9 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 4 Service revenues 1 us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 842800000 842.8 false false 2 false true 681800000 681.8 false false 3 false true 544300000 544.3 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 5 Total net revenues 1 us-gaap_Revenues us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 59804200000 59804.2 false false 2 false true 51258000000 51258.0 false false 3 false true 44506200000 44506.2 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 6 Cost of operations: 1 us-gaap_CostsAndExpensesAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 7 Cost of product net revenues (Includes retail co-payments of $8,661 for 2009, $7,666 for 2008, and $7,553 for 2007) 2 us-gaap_CostOfGoodsSold us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 55523100000 55523.1 false false 2 false true 47308200000 47308.2 false false 3 false true 41402600000 41402.6 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 8 Cost of service revenues 2 us-gaap_CostOfServices us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 254100000 254.1 false false 2 false true 221400000 221.4 false false 3 false true 158300000 158.3 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 9 Total cost of revenues 2 us-gaap_CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 55777200000 55777.2 false false 2 false true 47529600000 47529.6 false false 3 false true 41560900000 41560.9 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 10 Selling, general and administrative expenses 2 us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1455500000 1455.5 false false 2 false true 1425000000 1425.0 false false 3 false true 1114100000 1114.1 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 11 Amortization of intangibles 2 us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 305600000 305.6 false false 2 false true 285100000 285.1 false false 3 false true 228100000 228.1 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 12 Interest expense 2 us-gaap_InterestExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 172500000 172.5 false false 2 false true 233700000 233.7 false false 3 false true 134200000 134.2 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 13 Interest (income) and other (income) expense, net 2 us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -9900000 -9.9 false false 2 false true -6200000 -6.2 false false 3 false true -34400000 -34.4 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 14 Total costs and expenses 2 mhs_TotalCostsAndExpenses mhs false debit duration monetary Total costs of sales, operating and non operating expenses for the period. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 57700900000 57700.9 false false 2 false true 49467200000 49467.2 false false 3 false true 43002900000 43002.9 false false Total costs of sales, operating and non operating expenses for the period. No authoritative reference available. true 15 Income before provision for income taxes 1 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2103300000 2103.3 false false 2 false true 1790800000 1790.8 false false 3 false true 1503300000 1503.3 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 16 Provision for income taxes 1 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 823000000 823.0 false false 2 false true 687900000 687.9 false false 3 false true 591300000 591.3 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 17 Net income 1 us-gaap_ProfitLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 1280300000 1280.3 false false 2 true true 1102900000 1102.9 false false 3 true true 912000000 912.0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 18 Basic weighted average shares outstanding 1 us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfSharesOutstandingBasic us-gaap true na duration shares No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 481100000 481.1 [1] false false 2 false true 508600000 508.6 [1] false false 3 false true 550200000 550.2 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 19 Basic earnings per share 1 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 2.66 2.66 [1] false false 2 true true 2.17 2.17 [1] false false 3 true true 1.66 1.66 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 20 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 1 us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfDilutedSharesOutstanding us-gaap true na duration shares No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 490000000 490.0 [1] false false 2 false true 518600000 518.6 [1] false false 3 false true 560900000 560.9 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 21 Diluted earnings per share 1 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 2.61 2.61 [1] false false 2 true true 2.13 2.13 [1] false false 3 true true 1.63 1.63 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 1 Common share and per share amounts have been retrospectively adjusted to reflect the January 24, 2008 two-for-one stock split. See Note 1, "Background and Basis of Presentation" for additional information. false 3 20 false HundredThousands HundredThousands Hundreds false true