Other Insurance Liabilities and Separate Accounts - Roll Forward of Policyholders' Funds (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024	Mar. 31, 2023
Policyholder Account Balance [Roll Forward]
Policyholders’ funds, beginning of the period	$ 332	$ 345
Deposits received	9	(4)
Policy charges	(1)	0
Surrenders and withdrawals	(4)	(7)
Interest credited	3	3
Change in net unrealized gains (losses)	(6)	21
Other	(4)	(9)
Policyholders’ funds, end of the period	$ 329	$ 349
Weighted average crediting rate	4.30%	4.55%
Net amount at risk	$ 0	$ 0
Cash surrender value	$ 320	$ 332

Policyholder Account Balance, Change In Net Unrealized Gains (Losses)

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_PolicyholderAccountBalanceChangeInNetUnrealizedGainsLosses
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Policyholder Account Balance, Deposits Received

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cvs_PolicyholderAccountBalanceDepositsReceived
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash to be paid to policyholder upon termination and surrender of long-duration contract issued by insurance entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueDuePolicyholdersAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of interest expense for allocation to policyholder account balance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 29F
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480046/944-40-55-29F

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479868/944-20-45-2

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 13J
-Subparagraph (g)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480046/944-40-55-13J

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(6))
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147483586/944-220-S99-1

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7A
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480081/944-40-50-7A

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestCreditedToPolicyholdersAccountBalances
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in liability for policyholder account balance from change, classified as other.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PolicyholderAccountBalanceIncreaseDecreaseFromOtherChange
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of guaranteed benefit in excess of current account balance of policyholder account balance.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PolicyholderAccountBalanceNetAmountAtRisk
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of decrease in liability for policyholder account balance from policy charge.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PolicyholderAccountBalancePolicyCharge
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PolicyholderAccountBalanceRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of decrease in liability for policyholder account balance from contract redemption and withdrawal of funds.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PolicyholderAccountBalanceSurrenderAndWithdrawal
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted-average crediting rate for liability for policyholder account balance, calculated at a point in time.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PolicyholderAccountBalanceWeightedAverageCreditingRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount due to policyholder. Includes, but is not limited to, unpaid policy dividend, retrospective refund, and undistributed earnings on participating business. Excludes future policy benefit and claim expense.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 29F
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480046/944-40-55-29F

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7A
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480081/944-40-50-7A

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7A
-Subparagraph (d)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480081/944-40-50-7A

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(14)(a))
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479440/944-210-S99-1

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7A
-Subparagraph (c)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480081/944-40-50-7A

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PolicyholderFunds
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant