Supplemental Data - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 1,047,419	$ 965,241	$ 1,527,035	$ 946,249
Accounts receivable, net		1,699,892	1,525,849
Other current assets		1,990,575	1,385,707
Total current assets		4,737,886	3,876,797
Property and equipment, net		2,621,918	2,469,099
Amortizable intangibles, net		1,826,782	1,949,498
Other long-term assets		220,663	232,026
Goodwill		9,487,579	9,415,295		$ 9,212,974
Total assets		18,894,828	17,942,715
Current liabilities		2,410,554	2,088,652
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities		10,394,938	9,663,787
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions		897,139	829,965
Total DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. shareholders’ equity		4,990,353	5,170,513
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions		201,844	189,798
Total equity		5,192,197	5,360,311
Total liabilities and equity		18,894,828	17,942,715
Physician Groups
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		81,730	112,448
Accounts receivable, net		336,176
Other current assets		17,033
Total current assets		434,939
Property and equipment, net		1,902
Amortizable intangibles, net		6,218
Other long-term assets		69,010
Goodwill		15,967
Total assets		528,036
Current liabilities		249,122
Payables to parent		172,149
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities		52,611
Total DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. shareholders’ equity		54,154
Total equity		54,154
Total liabilities and equity		528,036
Unrestricted Subsidiaries
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Other long-term assets		2,889
Total assets		2,889
Payables to parent		2,889
Total liabilities and equity		2,889
Company and Restricted Subsidiaries
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	[1]	965,689	$ 852,793
Accounts receivable, net	[1]	1,363,716
Other current assets	[1]	1,973,542
Total current assets	[1]	4,302,947
Property and equipment, net	[1]	2,620,016
Amortizable intangibles, net	[1]	1,820,564
Other long-term assets	[1]	148,764
Goodwill	[1]	9,471,612
Total assets	[1]	18,363,903
Current liabilities	[1]	2,161,432
Payables to parent	[1]	(175,038)
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	[1]	10,342,327
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	[1]	897,139
Total DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. shareholders’ equity	[1]	4,936,199
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	[1]	201,844
Total equity	[1]	5,138,043
Total liabilities and equity	[1]	$ 18,363,903

[1] (1) After elimination of the unrestricted subsidiaries and the physician groups.