2.2.0.7 false Income Taxes 10801 - Disclosure - Income Taxes true false false false 1 USD false false Unit13 Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Unit12 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 Unit14 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance pure xbrli 0 Unit1 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 $ 2 0 unh_IncomeTaxesAbstract unh false na duration Income Taxes [Abstract] false false false false false true false false false false false false 1 false false false false 0 0 false false false xbrli:stringItemType string Income Taxes [Abstract] false 3 1 us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureTextBlock us-gaap true na duration No definition available. false false false false false false false false false false false terselabel false 1 false false false false 0 0 <div> <font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" size="2" class="_mt"> </font> <div><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"> </font> <div><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"> </font> <div><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"> </font> <div> <p style="margin-top: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b>8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Income Taxes </b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">The Company's income tax rates for both the three and nine months ended September&nbsp;30, 2010 were <font class="_mt">37.0</font>%. The Company's income tax rate for the three and nine months ended September&nbsp;30, 2009 was <font class="_mt">32.7</font>% and <font class="_mt">34.2</font>%, respectively. The increase in the effective income tax rate resulted primarily from a benefit in the 2009 tax rate from the resolution of various historical state income tax matters, as well as from the limitations on the future deductibility of certain compensation related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as modified by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Health Reform Legislation), which was signed into law during the first quarter of 2010.</font></p></div></div></div></div> </div> 8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Income Taxes The Company's income tax rates for both the three and nine months ended September&nbsp;30, 2010 were 37.0%. The false false false us-types:textBlockItemType textblock Description containing the entire income tax disclosure. Examples include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information. This element may be used as a single block of text to encapsulate the entire disclosure including data and tables. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph h -Article 4 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 109 -Paragraph 136, 172 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 109 -Paragraph 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 false 1 2 false UnKnown UnKnown UnKnown false true