v2.4.1.9
Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail) (Dialysis businesses and other businesses, USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items]  
Cash paid to acquire business $ 40,650us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesGross
Deferred purchase price obligations 394us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferredLiabilitiesIncurred
Amortizable intangible assets acquired, weighted-average estimated useful lives 5 years
Goodwill deductible for tax purposes associated with acquisitions 29,111us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmount
Other Accrued Liabilities
 
Business Acquisition [Line Items]  
Fair value of contingent earn-out consideration 15,885us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsRangeOfOutcomesValueHigh
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= dva_OtherAccruedLiabilitiesMember
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
Other long-term liabilities
 
Business Acquisition [Line Items]  
Fair value of contingent earn-out consideration 22,540us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsRangeOfOutcomesValueHigh
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentLiabilitiesMember
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
Other companies
 
Business Acquisition [Line Items]  
Additional cash consideration in the form of earn-out payments 134,321us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationLiability
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= dva_OtherCompaniesMember
Fair value of contingent earn-out consideration $ 38,425us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsRangeOfOutcomesValueHigh
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= dva_OtherCompaniesMember
Other companies | EBITDA performance targets and quality margins
 
Business Acquisition [Line Items]  
Earn out consideration payment period 2 years
Other companies | Operating income targets
 
Business Acquisition [Line Items]  
Earn out consideration payment period 3 years
Non-Compete Agreements
 
Business Acquisition [Line Items]  
Amortizable intangible assets acquired, weighted-average estimated useful lives 6 years
Assembled Work Forces
 
Business Acquisition [Line Items]  
Amortizable intangible assets acquired, weighted-average estimated useful lives 5 years
Trade Names
 
Business Acquisition [Line Items]  
Amortizable intangible assets acquired, weighted-average estimated useful lives 3 years
U.S. dialysis and related lab services
 
Business Acquisition [Line Items]  
Number of businesses acquired 1us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= dva_USDialysisAndRelatedLabServicesMember
Vascular Access Center And Other Medical Business
 
Business Acquisition [Line Items]  
Number of businesses acquired 2us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= dva_VascularAccessCenterAndOtherMedicalBusinessMember