Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Revenues from Third Party Payers, Uninsured and Other Payers

Our revenues from third party payers and other (including uninsured patients) for the years ended December 31, are summarized in the following table (dollars in millions):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2017			Ratio			2016			Ratio			2015			Ratio
Medicare	$	9,483			21.7	%	$	8,895			21.4	%	$	8,654			21.8	%
Managed Medicare		4,788			11.0			4,355			10.5			4,133			10.4
Medicaid		1,631			3.7			1,597			3.8			1,705			4.3
Managed Medicaid		2,349			5.4			2,478			6.0			2,234			5.6
Managed care and other insurers		24,813			56.9			23,441			56.5			21,882			55.2
International (managed care and other insurers)		1,097			2.5			1,195			2.9			1,295			3.3
Other		3,492			8.0			2,786			6.7			3,688			9.3
Revenues before provision for doubtful accounts		47,653			109.2			44,747			107.8			43,591			109.9
Provision for doubtful accounts		(4,039	)		(9.2	)		(3,257	)		(7.8	)		(3,913	)		(9.9	)
Revenues	$	43,614			100.0	%	$	41,490			100.0	%	$	39,678			100.0	%

Schedule of Revenue Deductions Related to Uninsured Accounts

A summary of these amounts for the years ended December 31, follows (dollars in millions):

	2017		Ratio			2016		Ratio			2015		Ratio
Charity care	$	4,861		21	%	$	4,151		20	%	$	3,682		20	%
Uninsured discounts		14,520		62			13,047		64			10,692		59
Provision for doubtful accounts		4,039		17			3,257		16			3,913		21
Total uncompensated care	$	23,420		100	%	$	20,455		100	%	$	18,287		100	%

Schedule of Estimated Cost of Uncompensated Care

A summary of the estimated cost of total uncompensated care for the years ended December 31, follows (dollars in millions):

	2017			2016			2015
Patient care costs (salaries and benefits, supplies, other operating expenses and depreciation and amortization)	$	37,557		$	35,304		$	33,760
Cost-to-charges ratio (patient care costs as percentage of gross patient charges)		12.9	%		13.5	%		14.5	%
Total uncompensated care	$	23,420		$	20,455		$	18,287
Multiply by the cost-to-charges ratio		12.9	%		13.5	%		14.5	%
Estimated cost of total uncompensated care	$	3,021		$	2,761		$	2,652