1.0.0.3 false Background and Basis of Presentation 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 2 Background and Basis of Presentation [Abstract] 0 mhs_BackgroundAndBasisOfPresentationAbstract mhs false na duration string Background and Basis of Presentation Footnote Disclosure false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false Background and Basis of Presentation Footnote Disclosure false 3 Background and Basis of Presentation 1 us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsDisclosureTextBlock us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 <div><div><h1 style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in; font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: -.15pt; font-weight: bold;"><a name="_AUC63fff1f6609c41afbd43eac5c20391c8"></a><a name="_Toc96255582">1.   BACKGROUND AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION</a></h1> Medco Health Solutions, Inc., (“Medco” or the “Company”) is a leading healthcare company that is pioneering the world’s most advanced pharmacy® and its clinical research and innovations are part of Medco making medicine smarter™ for approximately 65 million members.  Medco provides clinically-driven pharmacy services designed to improve the quality of care and lower total healthcare costs for private and public employers, health plans, labor unions and government agencies of all sizes, and for individuals served by Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans.  The Company’s unique Medco Therapeutic Resource Centers®, which conduct therapy management programs using Medco specialist pharmacists who have expertise in the medications used to treat certain chronic conditions, and Accredo Health Group, Medco’s Specialty Pharmacy, represent innovative models for the care of patients with chronic and complex conditions.   The Company’s business model requires collaboration with retail pharmacies, physicians, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) for Medicare, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and particularly in Specialty Pharmacy, collaboration with state Medicaid agencies, and other third-party  payors such as health insurers. The Company’s programs and services help control the cost and enhance the quality of prescription drug benefits. The Company accomplishes this by providing pharmacy benefit management (“PBM”) services through its national networks of retail pharmacies and its own mail-order pharmacies, as well as through Accredo Health Group, which the Company believes is the nation’s largest specialty pharmacy based on revenues.  Medco’s Therapeutic Resource Center focused on diabetes was augmented with the 2007 acquisition of PolyMedica Corporation (“PolyMedica”), through which the Company believes it became the largest diabetes pharmacy care practice based on covered patients. In 2008, the Company also extended its capabilities abroad when it acquired a majority interest in Europa Apotheek Venlo B.V. (“Europa Apotheek”), a privately held company based in the Netherlands that primarily provides mail-order pharmacy services in Germany. See Note 3, “Acquisitions of Businesses,” for more information. In 2009, Medco advanced its European healthcare initiatives through a joint venture with United Drug plc, a pan-European healthcare leader, to provide home-based pharmacy care services in the United Kingdom for patients covered by the country’s National Health Service.  Additionally, the Company’s commitment to advancing the science of personalized medicine is further demonstrated by its January 2010 acquisition of DNA Direct, Inc., a leader in providing guidance and decision support to payors, physicians and patients, on a range of complex issues related to genomic medicine. When the term “mail order” is used, Medco means inventory dispensed through Medco’s mail-order pharmacy operations.   On November 29, 2007, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved a two-for-one stock split, which was effected in the form of a 100% stock dividend and distributed on January 24, 2008, to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 10, 2008. The Company's total authorized common stock increased from 1,000,000,000 shares to 2,000,000,000 shares. The par value of the common stock was unchanged by this action. All share and per share amounts have been retrospectively adjusted for the increase in issued and outstanding shares after giving effect to the stock split. Stockholders' equity has also been restated to retroactively apply the effects of the stock split. For all periods presented, the par value of the additional shares resulting from the stock split has been reclassified from additional paid-in capital to common stock. </div></div> 1.   BACKGROUND AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Medco Health Solutions, Inc., (“Medco” or the “Company”) is a leading healthcare false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false false 1 2 false UnKnown UnKnown UnKnown false true