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DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Embedded_Derivative_Instruments
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Jan. 30, 2015
Nov. 19, 2010
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]          
Debt Instrument, Face Amount $ 600,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount        
Derivative, Basis Spread on Variable Rate 2.298%us-gaap_DerivativeBasisSpreadOnVariableRate        
Fair Value Hedges, Net 34,000,000us-gaap_FairValueHedgesAtFairValueNet   18,500,000us-gaap_FairValueHedgesAtFairValueNet    
Number of features considered to be embedded derivative instruments 2lh_NumberOfFeaturesConsideredToBeEmbeddedDerivativeInstruments        
Minimum percentage of market price to calculated value of zero-coupon subordinated debt at which the entity is subject to contingent cash interest 120.00%lh_MinimumPercentageMarketToCalculatedPriceAtWhichContingentCashInterestIsDue        
Embedded derivative, fair value 0us-gaap_EmbeddedDerivativeFairValueOfEmbeddedDerivativeNet        
Embedded derivative, impact on condensed consolidated statements of operations 0us-gaap_EmbeddedDerivativeGainLossOnEmbeddedDerivativeNet 0us-gaap_EmbeddedDerivativeGainLossOnEmbeddedDerivativeNet      
Senior notes due 2020 [Member]          
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]          
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage 4.625%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= lh_SeniorNotesDue2020Member
    2.625%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= lh_SeniorNotesDue2020Member
4.625%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= lh_SeniorNotesDue2020Member
Debt Instrument, Face Amount     $ 618,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= lh_SeniorNotesDue2020Member