Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 28, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES The worldwide effective income tax rates for the fiscal nine months of 2014 and 2013 were 22.7% and 18.9%, respectively. The higher effective tax rate in 2014 as compared to 2013 was primarily due to the divestiture of the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics business at an approximate 41% effective tax rate, litigation accruals at low tax rates, the accrual of an additional year of the Branded Prescription Drug Fee, which is not tax deductible, and additional U.S. tax expense related to a planned increase in dividends from current year foreign earnings as compared to the prior year. Also, the mix of earnings into higher tax jurisdictions, primarily the United States, increased the tax rate. Additionally, the 2014 tax rate was adversely impacted by the expiration, at year end 2013, of the U.S. Research & Development (R&D) tax credit and the Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC) look-through provision as compared to 2013. The 2013 fiscal nine months tax rate included both the 2012 benefit and the 2013 benefit from the R&D tax credit and the CFC look-through provisions, because those provisions were enacted into law in January 2013 and were retroactive to January 1, 2012. These increases to the year to date 2014 tax rate were partially offset by a tax benefit of $398 million associated with the Conor Medsystems divestiture. The tax rate was also reduced as the Company adjusted its unrecognized tax benefits as a result of (i) the federal appeals court’s decision in OMJ Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s litigation regarding credits under former Section 936 of the Internal Revenue Code (see Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information), and (ii) a settlement of substantially all issues related to the Company's U.S. Internal Revenue Service audit of tax years 2006 - 2009. As of September 28, 2014, the Company had approximately $2.3 billion of liabilities from unrecognized tax benefits, which reflects the adjustments described above. The Company believes it is possible that audits may be completed by tax authorities in some jurisdictions over the next twelve months. The Company is not able to provide a reasonably reliable estimate of the timing of any other future tax payments relating to uncertain tax positions.

Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 28, 2014

The worldwide effective income tax rates for the fiscal nine months of 2014 and 2013 were 22.7% and 18.9%, respectively. The higher effective tax rate in 2014 as compared to 2013 was primarily due to the divestiture of the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics business at an approximate 41% effective tax rate, litigation accruals at low tax rates, the accrual of an additional year of the Branded Prescription Drug Fee, which is not tax deductible, and additional U.S. tax expense related to a planned increase in dividends from current year foreign earnings as compared to the prior year. Also, the mix of earnings into higher tax jurisdictions, primarily the United States, increased the tax rate. Additionally, the 2014 tax rate was adversely impacted by the expiration, at year end 2013, of the U.S. Research & Development (R&D) tax credit and the Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC) look-through provision as compared to 2013. The 2013 fiscal nine months tax rate included both the 2012 benefit and the 2013 benefit from the R&D tax credit and the CFC look-through provisions, because those provisions were enacted into law in January 2013 and were retroactive to January 1, 2012.

These increases to the year to date 2014 tax rate were partially offset by a tax benefit of $398 million associated with the Conor Medsystems divestiture. The tax rate was also reduced as the Company adjusted its unrecognized tax benefits as a result of (i) the federal appeals court’s decision in OMJ Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s litigation regarding credits under former Section 936 of the Internal Revenue Code (see Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information), and (ii) a settlement of substantially all issues related to the Company's U.S. Internal Revenue Service audit of tax years 2006 - 2009.

As of September 28, 2014, the Company had approximately $2.3 billion of liabilities from unrecognized tax benefits, which reflects the adjustments described above. The Company believes it is possible that audits may be completed by tax authorities in some jurisdictions over the next twelve months. The Company is not able to provide a reasonably reliable estimate of the timing of any other future tax payments relating to uncertain tax positions.