Condensed consolidating financial statements - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 327,157	$ 306,322	$ 516,644	$ 531,551
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income			234,471	393,024
Net cash provided by operating activities			751,115	924,575
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment	(175,040)	(241,534)	(373,918)	(473,977)
Acquisitions			(65,970)	(89,465)
Proceeds from asset and business sales			3,851,381	116,241
Proceeds (purchases) from investment sales and other items, net			(8,801)	23,137
Net cash used in investing activities			3,402,692	(424,064)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net			(1,164,109)	573,981
Intercompany borrowing (payments)			0	0
Other items			(146,444)	(879,890)
Net cash used in financing activities			(1,310,553)	(305,909)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(77)	(3,473)
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			2,843,177	191,129
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at beginning of the year			415,420	518,920
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at end of the period	3,682,410	480,148	3,682,410	480,148
Consolidating adjustments
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(438,621)	(393,921)	(580,154)	(561,090)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income			580,154	561,090
Net cash provided by operating activities			0	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment			0	0
Acquisitions			0	0
Proceeds from asset and business sales			0	0
Proceeds (purchases) from investment sales and other items, net			0	0
Net cash used in investing activities			0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net			0	0
Intercompany borrowing (payments)			0	0
Other items			0	0
Net cash used in financing activities			0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at beginning of the year			0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at end of the period	0	0	0	0
DaVita Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	273,551	267,276	422,840	445,962
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income			(292,988)	(361,134)
Net cash provided by operating activities			129,852	84,828
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment			(63,037)	(77,169)
Acquisitions			0
Proceeds from asset and business sales			3,824,509	0
Proceeds (purchases) from investment sales and other items, net			729	32,415
Net cash used in investing activities			3,762,201	(44,754)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net			(1,152,510)	584,500
Intercompany borrowing (payments)			656,704	224,359
Other items			(82,011)	(804,245)
Net cash used in financing activities			(577,817)	4,614
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			3,314,236	44,688
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at beginning of the year			61,658	150,307
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at end of the period	3,375,894	194,995	3,375,894	194,995
Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	270,180	236,335	404,715	377,452
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income			(210,545)	31,554
Net cash provided by operating activities			194,170	409,006
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment			(174,483)	(216,103)
Acquisitions			(8,975)	(6,916)
Proceeds from asset and business sales			33	28,546
Proceeds (purchases) from investment sales and other items, net			(6,560)	(7,232)
Net cash used in investing activities			(189,985)	(201,705)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net			(5,270)	(4,398)
Intercompany borrowing (payments)			1,218	(187,712)
Other items			0	(13,208)
Net cash used in financing activities			(4,052)	(205,318)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			133	1,983
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at beginning of the year			12,048	9,384
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at end of the period	12,181	11,367	12,181	11,367
Non- Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	222,047	196,632	269,243	269,227
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income			157,850	161,514
Net cash provided by operating activities			427,093	430,741
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment			(136,398)	(180,705)
Acquisitions			(56,995)	(82,549)
Proceeds from asset and business sales			26,839	87,695
Proceeds (purchases) from investment sales and other items, net			(2,970)	(2,046)
Net cash used in investing activities			(169,524)	(177,605)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net			(6,329)	(6,121)
Intercompany borrowing (payments)			(657,922)	(36,647)
Other items			(64,433)	(62,437)
Net cash used in financing activities			(728,684)	(105,205)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(77)	(3,473)
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(471,192)	144,458
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at beginning of the year			341,714	359,229
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at end of the period	$ 294,335	$ 273,786	294,335	273,786
Discontinued Operations
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(423,813)	229,901
Discontinued Operations | Consolidating adjustments
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Discontinued Operations | DaVita Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Discontinued Operations | Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Discontinued Operations | Non- Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(423,813)	229,901
Continuing Operations
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			3,266,990	(38,772)
Continuing Operations | Consolidating adjustments
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Continuing Operations | DaVita Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			3,314,236	44,688
Continuing Operations | Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			133	1,983
Continuing Operations | Non- Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			$ (47,379)	$ (85,443)