v2.4.1.9

Supplemental Data - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Income (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Patient service operating revenues	$ 2,271,815us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenue		$ 2,114,098us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenue
Less: Provision for uncollectible accounts	(99,164)us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenueProvisionforBadDebts		(83,197)us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenueProvisionforBadDebts
Net patient service revenues	2,172,651us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenueLessProvisionForBadDebts		2,030,901us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenueLessProvisionForBadDebts
Capitated revenues	850,515us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationCapitationRevenue		787,565us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationCapitationRevenue
Other revenues	264,799us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationOtherRevenue		224,310us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationOtherRevenue
Total net revenues	3,287,965us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationRevenue		3,042,776us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationRevenue
Operating expenses	3,352,121us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses		2,601,551us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses
Operating (loss) income	(64,156)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss		441,225us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Debt expense	(97,392)us-gaap_InterestAndDebtExpense		(106,335)us-gaap_InterestAndDebtExpense
Other (loss) income	(533)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense		1,698us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
Income tax (benefit) expense	(85,933)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit		124,851us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Net (loss) income	(76,148)us-gaap_ProfitLoss		211,737us-gaap_ProfitLoss
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(34,469)us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTaxAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest		(28,448)us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTaxAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
Net (loss) income	(110,617)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss		183,289us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Physician Groups
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Patient service operating revenues	29,654us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Less: Provision for uncollectible accounts	(289)us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenueProvisionforBadDebts / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Net patient service revenues	29,365us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenueLessProvisionForBadDebts / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Capitated revenues	386,331us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationCapitationRevenue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Other revenues	919us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationOtherRevenue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Total net revenues	416,615us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationRevenue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Operating expenses	409,306us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Operating (loss) income	7,309us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Debt expense	(2,464)us-gaap_InterestAndDebtExpense / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Other (loss) income	30us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Income tax (benefit) expense	1,489us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Net (loss) income	3,386us-gaap_ProfitLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Net (loss) income	3,386us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
Unrestricted Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Operating expenses	(237)us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_UnrestrictedSubsidiariesMember
Operating (loss) income	237us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_UnrestrictedSubsidiariesMember
Income tax (benefit) expense	95us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_UnrestrictedSubsidiariesMember
Net (loss) income	142us-gaap_ProfitLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_UnrestrictedSubsidiariesMember
Net (loss) income	142us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_UnrestrictedSubsidiariesMember
Company and Restricted Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Patient service operating revenues	2,242,161us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Less: Provision for uncollectible accounts	(98,875)us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenueProvisionforBadDebts / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Net patient service revenues	2,143,286us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationPatientServiceRevenueLessProvisionForBadDebts / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Capitated revenues	464,184us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationCapitationRevenue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Other revenues	263,880us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationOtherRevenue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Total net revenues	2,871,350us-gaap_HealthCareOrganizationRevenue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Operating expenses	2,943,052us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Operating (loss) income	(71,702)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Debt expense	(94,928)us-gaap_InterestAndDebtExpense / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Other (loss) income	(563)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Income tax (benefit) expense	(87,517)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Net (loss) income	(79,676)us-gaap_ProfitLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(34,469)us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTaxAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
Net (loss) income	$ (114,145)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember	[1]
[1] After the elimination of the unrestricted subsidiaries and the physician groups

X

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Amount after tax of increase (decrease) in equity from transactions and other events and circumstances from net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss), attributable to noncontrolling interests. Excludes changes in equity resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners.

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Amount of revenue recognized based on fees charged on a per capita basis.

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Amount of revenue recognized that is not otherwise disclosed.

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