Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (Woodard Private Civil Suit, USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Woodard Private Civil Suit
Legal Proceedings [Line Items]
Accrued legal settlement cost	$ 86,000
Legal settlement cost	$ 55,000

Legal proceeding contingency accrual and related expenses.

No definition available.

Name:	dva_AccruedLegalSettlementCostsPayable
Namespace Prefix:	dva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant