Significant Accounting Policies Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Product Warranty Liability [Table Text Block]

	Year Ended December 31,
	2013			2012			2011
Beginning balance	$	26		$	30		$	43
Provision	12			8			9
Settlements/ reversals	(10		)	(12		)	(22		)
Ending balance	$	28		$	26		$	30

Schedule of Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	As of December 31, 2013						As of December 31, 2012
(in millions)	Projected Benefit Obligation (PBO)		Fair value of Plan Assets		Underfunded PBO Recognized		Projected Benefit Obligation (PBO)		Fair value of Plan Assets		Underfunded PBO Recognized
Executive Retirement Plan	$	10	$	—	$	10	$	13	$	—	$	13
Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)	120		114		6		131		87		44
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)	31		—		31		34		—		34
Guidant Healthcare Retirement Benefit Plan (frozen)	3		—		3		5		—		5
International Retirement Plans	84		52		32		85		43		42
	$	248	$	166	$	82	$	268	$	130	$	138

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

		Expected Return on Plan Assets	Long-Term Healthcare	Rate of
	Discount Rate		Cost Trend Rate	Compensation Increase
Executive Retirement Plan	4.50%			3.00%
Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)	5.00%	5.50%
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)	4.75%
Guidant Healthcare Retirement Benefit Plan (frozen)	1.00% - 2.00%		5.00%
International Retirement Plans	0.75% - 3.70%	2.75% - 4.10%		3.00%

Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)	2013			2012
Beginning fair value	$	130		$	115
Actual return on plan assets	25			11
Employer contributions	32			20
Benefits paid	(15		)	(13		)
Net transfers in (out)	—			—
Foreign currency exchange	(6		)	(3		)
Ending fair value	$	166		$	130