v2.4.1.9
Supplemental Data - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Detail) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]        
Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,011,271us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue $ 965,241us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue $ 1,108,069us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue $ 946,249us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
Accounts receivable, net 1,675,182us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent 1,525,849us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent    
Other current assets 1,614,342dva_InvestmentsAndOtherCurrentAssets 1,385,707dva_InvestmentsAndOtherCurrentAssets    
Total current assets 4,300,795us-gaap_AssetsCurrent 3,876,797us-gaap_AssetsCurrent    
Property and equipment, net 2,500,596us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet 2,469,099us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet    
Intangibles, net of accumulated amortization of $666,995 and $621,891 1,904,176us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsNetExcludingGoodwill 1,949,498us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsNetExcludingGoodwill    
Other long-term assets 229,706us-gaap_InvestmentsAndOtherNoncurrentAssets 232,026us-gaap_InvestmentsAndOtherNoncurrentAssets    
Goodwill 9,431,390us-gaap_Goodwill 9,415,295us-gaap_Goodwill   9,212,974us-gaap_Goodwill
Total assets 18,366,663us-gaap_Assets 17,942,715us-gaap_Assets    
Current liabilities 2,679,516us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent 2,088,652us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent    
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities 9,668,041dva_LongTermDebtAndOtherNoncurrent 9,663,787dva_LongTermDebtAndOtherNoncurrent    
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions 848,392us-gaap_RedeemableNoncontrollingInterestEquityCarryingAmount 829,965us-gaap_RedeemableNoncontrollingInterestEquityCarryingAmount    
Total DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. shareholders’ equity 4,971,410us-gaap_StockholdersEquity 5,170,513us-gaap_StockholdersEquity    
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions 199,304us-gaap_MinorityInterest 189,798us-gaap_MinorityInterest    
Total equity 5,170,714us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest 5,360,311us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest    
Total liabilities and equity 18,366,663us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity 17,942,715us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity    
Physician Groups        
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]        
Cash and cash equivalents 101,416us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
112,448us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
   
Accounts receivable, net 255,659us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Other current assets 9,376dva_InvestmentsAndOtherCurrentAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Total current assets 366,451us-gaap_AssetsCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Property and equipment, net 2,212us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Intangibles, net of accumulated amortization of $666,995 and $621,891 7,385us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsNetExcludingGoodwill
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Other long-term assets 69,461us-gaap_InvestmentsAndOtherNoncurrentAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Goodwill 15,155us-gaap_Goodwill
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Total assets 460,664us-gaap_Assets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Current liabilities 195,987us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Payables to parent 186,830us-gaap_DueToRelatedPartiesNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities 57,470dva_LongTermDebtAndOtherNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Total DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. shareholders’ equity 20,377us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Total equity 20,377us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Total liabilities and equity 460,664us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_PhysicianGroupOrganizationMember
     
Unrestricted Subsidiaries        
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]        
Other long-term assets 3,048us-gaap_InvestmentsAndOtherNoncurrentAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_UnrestrictedSubsidiariesMember
     
Total assets 3,048us-gaap_Assets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_UnrestrictedSubsidiariesMember
     
Payables to parent 3,048us-gaap_DueToRelatedPartiesNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_UnrestrictedSubsidiariesMember
     
Total liabilities and equity 3,048us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_UnrestrictedSubsidiariesMember
     
Company and Restricted Subsidiaries        
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]        
Cash and cash equivalents 909,855us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1] 852,793us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]    
Accounts receivable, net 1,419,523us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Other current assets 1,604,966dva_InvestmentsAndOtherCurrentAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Total current assets 3,934,344us-gaap_AssetsCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Property and equipment, net 2,498,384us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Intangibles, net of accumulated amortization of $666,995 and $621,891 1,896,791us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsNetExcludingGoodwill
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Other long-term assets 157,197us-gaap_InvestmentsAndOtherNoncurrentAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Goodwill 9,416,235us-gaap_Goodwill
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Total assets 17,902,951us-gaap_Assets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Current liabilities 2,483,529us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Payables to parent (189,878)us-gaap_DueToRelatedPartiesNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities 9,610,571dva_LongTermDebtAndOtherNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions 848,392us-gaap_RedeemableNoncontrollingInterestEquityCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Total DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. shareholders’ equity 4,951,033us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions 199,304us-gaap_MinorityInterest
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Total equity 5,150,337us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
Total liabilities and equity $ 17,902,951us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= dva_ParentCompanyAndRestrictedSubsidiariesMember
[1]      
[1] After the elimination of the unrestricted subsidiaries and the physician groups