Fair Value - Carrying Value and Fair Value Classified by Level (Details) - Nonrecurring - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2024	Dec. 31, 2023
Carrying Value
Assets:
Mortgage loans	$ 1,362	$ 1,311
Equity securities	559	534
Liabilities:
Investment contracts liabilities with a fixed maturity	1	1
Investment contracts liabilities without a fixed maturity	321	312
Long-term debt	61,425	61,410
Estimated Fair Value
Assets:
Mortgage loans	1,316	1,274
Liabilities:
Investment contracts liabilities with a fixed maturity	1	1
Investment contracts liabilities without a fixed maturity	282	279
Long-term debt	57,427	58,451
Level 1 \| Estimated Fair Value
Assets:
Mortgage loans	0	0
Liabilities:
Investment contracts liabilities with a fixed maturity	0	0
Investment contracts liabilities without a fixed maturity	0	0
Long-term debt	57,427	58,451
Level 2 \| Estimated Fair Value
Assets:
Mortgage loans	0	0
Liabilities:
Investment contracts liabilities with a fixed maturity	0	0
Investment contracts liabilities without a fixed maturity	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Level 3 \| Estimated Fair Value
Assets:
Mortgage loans	1,316	1,274
Liabilities:
Investment contracts liabilities with a fixed maturity	1	1
Investment contracts liabilities without a fixed maturity	282	279
Long-term debt	$ 0	$ 0

Investment Contracts With Fixed Maturity, Fair Value Disclosure.

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_InvestmentContractsWithFixedMaturityFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Investment Contracts Without A Fixed Maturity, Fair Value Disclosure.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cvs_InvestmentContractsWithoutFixedMaturityFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Mortgage Loans On Real Estate, Fair Value Disclosure

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cvs_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of debt instrument payable, including, but not limited to, notes payable and loans payable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 69B
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481568/470-20-55-69B

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 69C
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481568/470-20-55-69C

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1D
-Subparagraph (c)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481139/470-20-50-1D

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147482907/825-10-50-10

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in equity security without readily determinable fair value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 321
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479536/321-10-50-3

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesWithoutReadilyDeterminableFairValueAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsFinancialAssetsBalanceSheetGroupingsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsFinancialLiabilitiesBalanceSheetGroupingsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis=us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsNonrecurringMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: