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Significant Accounting Policies (Details 2) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]      
Long-term Investments $ 51,000,000us-gaap_LongTermInvestments    
Fair Value of Financial Instruments      
Carrying amount of long-term debt 12,300,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt    
Estimated fair value of long-term debt 13,300,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue    
Fair value of outstanding letters of credit 4,000,000us-gaap_LinesOfCreditFairValueDisclosure    
Activity in the allowance for doubtful trade accounts receivable      
Beginning balance 256,000,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable 243,000,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable 189,000,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable
Additions charged to bad debt expense 185,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesChargedToCostAndExpense 195,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesChargedToCostAndExpense 149,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesChargedToCostAndExpense
Write-offs charged to allowance (185,000,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesDeductions (182,000,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesDeductions (95,000,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesDeductions
Ending balance 256,000,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable 256,000,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable 243,000,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable
Components of property and equipment      
Property and equipment, gross 18,786,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross 17,408,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross  
Accumulated depreciation and amortization (9,943,000,000)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment (8,793,000,000)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment  
Property and equipment, net 8,843,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet 8,615,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet  
Property and equipment under capital leases 268,000,000us-gaap_CapitalLeasedAssetsGross 260,000,000us-gaap_CapitalLeasedAssetsGross  
Capital Leases, Lessee Balance Sheet, Assets by Major Class, Accumulated Depreciation 86,000,000us-gaap_CapitalLeasesLesseeBalanceSheetAssetsByMajorClassAccumulatedDeprecation 74,000,000us-gaap_CapitalLeasesLesseeBalanceSheetAssetsByMajorClassAccumulatedDeprecation  
Depreciation expense   1,400,000,000us-gaap_Depreciation 1,300,000,000us-gaap_Depreciation
Leasehold improvements      
Components of property and equipment      
Property and equipment, gross 3,626,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LeaseholdImprovementsMember
3,320,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LeaseholdImprovementsMember
 
Land      
Components of property and equipment      
Property and equipment, gross 1,506,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LandMember
1,460,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LandMember
 
Fixtures and equipment      
Components of property and equipment      
Property and equipment, gross 8,958,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cvs_FixturesAndEquipmentMember
8,419,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cvs_FixturesAndEquipmentMember
 
Software      
Components of property and equipment      
Property and equipment, gross 1,868,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ComputerSoftwareIntangibleAssetMember
1,515,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ComputerSoftwareIntangibleAssetMember
 
Building and building improvements      
Components of property and equipment      
Property and equipment, gross $ 2,828,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_BuildingAndBuildingImprovementsMember
$ 2,694,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_BuildingAndBuildingImprovementsMember
 
Minimum | Building      
Components of property and equipment      
Estimated useful life, minimum (in years) 10 years    
Minimum | Fixtures, equipment and internally developed software      
Components of property and equipment      
Estimated useful life, minimum (in years) 3 years    
Maximum | Building      
Components of property and equipment      
Estimated useful life, minimum (in years) 40 years    
Maximum | Fixtures, equipment and internally developed software      
Components of property and equipment      
Estimated useful life, minimum (in years) 10 years