Significant Accounting Policies Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Product Warranty Liability [Table Text Block]

	Year Ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Beginning balance	$	28		$	26		$	30
Provision	9			12			8
Settlements/ reversals	(12		)	(10		)	(12		)
Ending balance	$	25		$	28		$	26

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

	As of December 31, 2014						As of December 31, 2013
(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	$	13	$	—	$	13	$	10	$	—	$	10
Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)	148		140		8		120		114		6
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)	34		—		34		31		—		31
Guidant Healthcare Retirement Benefit Plan (frozen)	—		—		—		3		—		3
International Retirement Plans	90		51		39		84		52		32
	$	285	$	191	$	94	$	248	$	166	$	82

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

		Expected Return on Plan Assets	Rate of
	Discount Rate		Compensation Increase
Executive Retirement Plan	3.50%		3.00%
Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)	4.00%	5.50%
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)	4.00%
International Retirement Plans	1.00% - 2.20%	2.75% - 4.10%	3.00% - 6.78%

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

	Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)	2014			2013
Beginning fair value	$	166		$	130
Actual return on plan assets	26			25
Employer contributions	16			32
Benefits paid	(11		)	(15		)
Net transfers in (out)	—			—
Foreign currency exchange	(6		)	(6		)
Ending fair value	$	191		$	166