DEBT - CREDIT FACILITIES (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 Quarters	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 19, 2014 USD ($)
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Amount Outstanding Letters Of Credit			$ 72.2
2017 Term loan			527.1	$ 750.0
Notes Payable, Current			1.8	1.8
2014 Term Loan			0.0	72.0
Long term debt issuance costs			40.3	48.2
Amortization of Debt Discount (Premium)			5.6
Long-term debt, less current portion			$ 6,041.9	$ 6,344.6
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity						$ 1,000.0
Debt covenant, requirement for number of consecutive fiscal quarters | Quarters		4
Credit Facility Option to Increase						350.0
Credit Facility, Maximum Swing Line Borrowings						100.0
Debt Covenant Requirement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt to EBITDA (leverage) ratio				3.0
Debt Covenant Actual [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt to EBITDA (leverage) ratio				2.5
2017 Term Loan [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate at Period End			3.60%	2.60%
Term Loan [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate at Period End				2.80%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit Facility, Maximum Letters of Credit						$ 150.0
Debt to EBITDA (leverage) ratio				3,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate at Period End			3.50%	2.70%
Prime Rate [Member] | Term Loan [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description			0.0% to 0.50%
Prime Rate [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description		0.00% to 0.25%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Description		0.10% to 0.25%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Term Loan [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description			0.875% to 1.50%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description		0.775% to 1.25%
Senior notes due 2018 [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Sequenom notes retired	$ 129.9
Long-term debt, less current portion					$ 130.0
Zero-coupon convertible subordinated notes [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Zero Coupon Convertible Subordinated Notes Conversion Trigger Price | $ / shares			$ 78.64