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Long-term Debt - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$ 4,500,000,000	$ 4,500,000,000
Debt expense recognized		394,279,000	389,755,000	$ 385,750,000
Unrealized losses on interest rate swap and cap agreements		$ (3,670,000)	(12,241,000)	(10,059,000)
Weighted average effective interest rate		4.52%
Weighted average effective interest rate		4.43%
Amortization of deferred financing costs		$ 20,103,000	18,625,000	$ 24,544,000
DaVita Medical Group (DMG)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding letters of credit		1,286,000
Letter of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding letters of credit		95,629,000
Interest rate cap agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate agreements, notional amount		$ 3,500,000,000
Derivative, effective date		Jun. 29, 2018
Interest Rate Cap Agreements Effective September 30, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate agreements, notional amount		$ 3,500,000,000
Derivative, effective date		Sep. 30, 2016
Derivative, expiration date		Jun. 30, 2018
Fair value of assets		$ 116,000
Debt expense recognized		2,070,000
Unrealized losses on interest rate swap and cap agreements		(1,196,000)
Interest Rate Cap Agreements Effective June 29, 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate agreements, notional amount		$ 3,500,000,000
Derivative, effective date		Jun. 29, 2018
Derivative, expiration date		Jun. 30, 2020
Fair value of assets		$ 9,813,000
Unrealized losses on interest rate swap and cap agreements		(4,002,000)
Term Loan A
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, annual principal payment		62,500,000
Senior Secured Credit Facilities		$ 862,500,000	925,000,000
Term Loan A \| Interest rate swap agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative, expiration date		Sep. 30, 2016
Debt expense recognized		$ 299,000
Amount of gains (losses) recognized in OCI on swaps arising during the period net of tax		$ (815,000)
Term Loan B
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument Interest rate		0.75%
Debt instrument, annual principal payment		$ 35,000,000
Senior Secured Credit Facilities		3,412,500,000	$ 3,447,500,000
Term Loan B \| Interest rate cap agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate agreements, notional amount		$ 2,735,000,000
Derivative, expiration date		Sep. 30, 2016
Debt expense recognized		$ 1,829,000
Term Loan B \| Maximum \| Interest rate cap agreements 1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument Interest rate		3.50%
Interest rate agreements, notional amount		$ 3,500,000,000
Remaining outstanding debt		$ 775,000,000
Term Loan B \| Maximum \| Interest rate cap agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR interest rate for interest cap		3.50%
Senior Secured Credit Facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Undrawn revolving credit facilities		$ 1,000,000,000
Weighted average effective interest rate		3.68%
Term Loan A subject to interest rate caps
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Secured Credit Facilities		$ 87,500,000
Term Loan A subject to uncapped portion of variability of LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Secured Credit Facilities		$ 775,000,000
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Interest Rate Cap Agreements Effective September 30, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR cap rate		3.50%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Interest Rate Cap Agreements Effective June 29, 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR cap rate		3.50%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Term Loan A
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, variable interest rate margin		1.75%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Term Loan A \| Maximum \| Interest rate swap agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fixed interest rate		0.52%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Term Loan A \| Minimum \| Interest rate swap agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fixed interest rate		0.49%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Term Loan B
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, variable interest rate margin		2.75%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Term Loan B \| Interest rate cap agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR cap rate		2.50%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Term Loan B \| Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, variable interest rate margin		3.50%
Term Loan A Term Loan B
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate description		At December 31, 2016, the overall weighted average interest rate for Term Loan A was determined based upon the LIBOR interest rates in effect for all of the individual tranches plus the interest rate margin of 1.75%.
Term Loan A Term Loan B \| Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term Loan A and Term Loan B maturity date range		12 months
Term Loan A Term Loan B \| Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term Loan A and Term Loan B maturity date range		1 month
Senior Notes 5.0 Percent Due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$ 1,500,000,000
Senior note, interest rate	5.00%	5.00%
Senior note, due date	2025	2025
Senior notes, principal balance	$ 1,500,000,000
Debt Instrument, frequency of periodic payment		The 5.0% Senior Notes pay interest on May 1 and November 1
Senior notes interest payment, first required payment date	Nov. 01, 2015
Debt instrument, redemption description		The Company may redeem up to 35% of the 5.0% Senior Notes at any time prior to May 1, 2018 at a certain specified price from the proceeds of one or more equity offerings. In addition, the Company may redeem some or all of the 5.0% Senior Notes at any time prior to May 1, 2020 at make-whole redemption rates and on or after such date at certain specified redemption prices.
Senior Notes 5.0 Percent Due 2025 \| Senior Notes Redemption Period One
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
End date of debt instrument redemption period	May 01, 2018
Senior Notes 5.0 Percent Due 2025 \| Senior Notes Redemption Period Two
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
End date of debt instrument redemption period	May 01, 2020
Senior Notes 5.0 Percent Due 2025 \| Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, redemption price percentage	35.00%
Senior Notes 5.125 Percent Due 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$ 1,750,000,000
Senior note, interest rate		5.125%
Senior note, due date		2024
Senior Notes 5.75 Percent Due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$ 1,250,000,000
Senior note, interest rate		5.75%
Senior note, due date		2022
Senior Notes 6.625 Percent Due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	6.625%
Senior note, due date		2020
Senior notes, principal balance	$ 775,000,000
Debt redemption and refinance charges		$ 48,072,000