v2.4.1.9

Investments (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule Of Trading Securities And Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Certificates of deposit and money market funds due within one year	$ 335,975dva_CertificatesOfDepositMoneyMarketFundsAndUnitedStatesGovernmentSecurities	$ 5,601dva_CertificatesOfDepositMoneyMarketFundsAndUnitedStatesGovernmentSecurities
Investments in mutual funds and common stock	28,123dva_MutualFundInvestmentsAtFairValue	19,421dva_MutualFundInvestmentsAtFairValue
Total investment	364,098us-gaap_MarketableSecurities	25,022us-gaap_MarketableSecurities
Short-term investments	337,399us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesCurrent	6,801us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesCurrent
Long-term investments	26,699us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesNoncurrent	18,221us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesNoncurrent
Held to maturity
Schedule Of Trading Securities And Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Certificates of deposit and money market funds due within one year	335,975dva_CertificatesOfDepositMoneyMarketFundsAndUnitedStatesGovernmentSecurities / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_HeldtomaturitySecuritiesMember	5,601dva_CertificatesOfDepositMoneyMarketFundsAndUnitedStatesGovernmentSecurities / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_HeldtomaturitySecuritiesMember
Total investment	335,975us-gaap_MarketableSecurities / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_HeldtomaturitySecuritiesMember	5,601us-gaap_MarketableSecurities / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_HeldtomaturitySecuritiesMember
Short-term investments	335,975us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesCurrent / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_HeldtomaturitySecuritiesMember	5,601us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesCurrent / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_HeldtomaturitySecuritiesMember
Available for sale
Schedule Of Trading Securities And Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Investments in mutual funds and common stock	28,123dva_MutualFundInvestmentsAtFairValue / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember	19,421dva_MutualFundInvestmentsAtFairValue / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember
Total investment	28,123us-gaap_MarketableSecurities / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember	19,421us-gaap_MarketableSecurities / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember
Short-term investments	1,424us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesCurrent / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember	1,200us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesCurrent / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember
Long-term investments	$ 26,699us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesNoncurrent / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember	$ 18,221us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesNoncurrent / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember

X

- Definition

This represents short term investments that are held to maturity and consist of CD's, money market funds and U.S. treasury notes.

+ References

No definition available.

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Total debt and equity financial instruments including: (1) securities held-to-maturity, (2) trading securities, and (3) securities available-for-sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.4)

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Total debt and equity financial instruments including: (1) securities held-to-maturity and (2) securities available-for-sale that will be held for the long-term.

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