Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Goodwill [Line Items]

Schedule of Goodwill [Table Text Block]

Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill, by reportable segment, were as follows:

(in millions)	UnitedHealthcare			OptumHealth			OptumInsight			OptumRx			Consolidated
Balance at January 1, 2017	$	23,854		$	6,322		$	4,449		$	12,959		$	47,584
Acquisitions	690			5,189			1,221			—			7,100
Foreign currency effects and adjustments, net	(60		)	(23		)	4			(49		)	(128		)
Balance at December 31, 2017	24,484			11,488			5,674			12,910			54,556
Acquisitions	2,723			471			106			1,881			5,181
Foreign currency effects and adjustments, net	(807		)	(12		)	(8		)	—			(827		)
Balance at December 31, 2018	$	26,400		$	11,947		$	5,772		$	14,791		$	58,910

Schedule of Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets by Major Class [Table Text Block]

The gross carrying value, accumulated amortization and net carrying value of other intangible assets were as follows:

	December 31, 2018							December 31, 2017
(in millions)	Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Value		Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Value
Customer-related	$	11,622	$	(3,908	)	$	7,714	$	10,832	$	(3,743	)	$	7,089
Trademarks and technology	1,122		(512		)	610		1,054		(432		)	622
Trademarks and other indefinite-lived	745		—			745		561		—			561
Other	428		(172		)	256		351		(134		)	217
Total	$	13,917	$	(4,592	)	$	9,325	$	12,798	$	(4,309	)	$	8,489

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets Acquired as Part of Business Combination [Table Text Block]

The acquisition date fair values and weighted-average useful lives assigned to finite-lived intangible assets acquired in business combinations consisted of the following by year of acquisition:

	2018			2017
(in millions, except years)	Fair Value		Weighted-Average Useful Life	Fair Value		Weighted-Average Useful Life
Customer-related	$	1,355	17 years	$	324	13 years
Trademarks and technology	122		4 years	367		11 years
Other	97		9 years	82		6 years
Total acquired finite-lived intangible assets	$	1,574	16 years	$	773	11 years

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]

Estimated full year amortization expense relating to intangible assets for each of the next five years ending December 31 is as follows:

(in millions)
2019	$	889
2020	795
2021	724
2022	632
2023	593