v2.4.1.9

Investments (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule Of Trading Securities And Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Certificates of deposit and money market funds due within one year	$ 420,927dva_CertificatesOfDepositMoneyMarketFundsAndUnitedStatesGovernmentSecurities	$ 335,975dva_CertificatesOfDepositMoneyMarketFundsAndUnitedStatesGovernmentSecurities
Investments in mutual funds and common stock	29,068dva_MutualFundInvestmentsAtFairValue	28,123dva_MutualFundInvestmentsAtFairValue
Total investment	449,995us-gaap_Investments	364,098us-gaap_Investments
Short-term investments	422,365us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments	337,399us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments
Long-term investments	27,630us-gaap_OtherLongTermInvestments	26,699us-gaap_OtherLongTermInvestments
Held to maturity
Schedule Of Trading Securities And Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Certificates of deposit and money market funds due within one year	420,927dva_CertificatesOfDepositMoneyMarketFundsAndUnitedStatesGovernmentSecurities / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_HeldtomaturitySecuritiesMember	335,975dva_CertificatesOfDepositMoneyMarketFundsAndUnitedStatesGovernmentSecurities / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_HeldtomaturitySecuritiesMember
Total investment	420,927us-gaap_Investments / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_HeldtomaturitySecuritiesMember	335,975us-gaap_Investments / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_HeldtomaturitySecuritiesMember
Short-term investments	420,927us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_HeldtomaturitySecuritiesMember	335,975us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments / 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	29,068dva_MutualFundInvestmentsAtFairValue / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember	28,123dva_MutualFundInvestmentsAtFairValue / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember
Total investment	29,068us-gaap_Investments / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember	28,123us-gaap_Investments / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember
Short-term investments	1,438us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember	1,424us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember
Long-term investments	$ 27,630us-gaap_OtherLongTermInvestments / us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember	$ 26,699us-gaap_OtherLongTermInvestments / 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.

+ Details

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X

- Definition

Mutual fund investments, at fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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X

- Definition

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all investments.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(h))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph h

-Article 7

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X

- Definition

Other long-term investments not otherwise specified in the taxonomy, not including investments in marketable securities.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 12

-Article 5



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(f))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910



Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph f

-Article 7

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- Definition

Investments which are intended to be sold in the short term (usually less than one year or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer) including trading securities, available-for-sale securities, held-to-maturity securities, and other short-term investments not otherwise listed in the existing taxonomy.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.2)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph g

-Article 7

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