Condensed consolidating financial statements - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 459,242	$ 323,038
Restricted cash and equivalents	102,192	92,382
Accounts receivable, net	1,953,422	1,858,608
Other current assets	705,272	760,566
Current assets held for sale, net	6,004,948	5,389,565
Total current assets	9,225,076	8,424,159
Property and equipment, net	3,392,266	3,393,669
Operating lease right-of-use asset	2,736,536	0
Intangible assets, net	118,324	118,846
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other long-term assets and investments	334,374	331,618
Goodwill	6,799,368	6,841,960	$ 6,610,279
Total assets	22,605,944	19,110,252
Current liabilities	6,477,567	3,647,402
Current liabilities held for sale	1,753,310	1,243,759
Intercompany payables	0	0
Long-term operating leases	2,625,776	0
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	6,519,574	9,186,052
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	1,143,044	1,124,641
Total DaVita Inc. shareholders' equity	3,875,354	3,703,442
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	211,319	204,956
Total equity	4,086,673	3,908,398
Total liabilities and equity	22,605,944	19,110,252
Consolidating adjustments
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash and equivalents	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Current assets held for sale, net	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Operating lease right-of-use asset	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(13,514,602)	(13,342,612)
Intercompany receivables	(5,252,684)	(4,890,651)
Other long-term assets and investments	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Total assets	(18,767,286)	(18,233,263)
Current liabilities	0	0
Current liabilities held for sale	0	0
Intercompany payables	(5,252,684)	(4,890,651)
Long-term operating leases	0
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	0	0
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	530,562	526,566
Total DaVita Inc. shareholders' equity	(13,514,602)	(13,342,612)
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	(530,562)	(526,566)
Total equity	(14,045,164)	(13,869,178)
Total liabilities and equity	(18,767,286)	(18,233,263)
DaVita Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	194,347	60,653
Restricted cash and equivalents	1,006	1,005
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Other current assets	37,185	37,185
Current assets held for sale, net	0	0
Total current assets	232,538	98,843
Property and equipment, net	503,677	491,462
Operating lease right-of-use asset	107,237
Intangible assets, net	130	153
Investments in subsidiaries	10,191,084	10,102,750
Intercompany receivables	3,756,675	3,419,448
Other long-term assets and investments	53,978	53,385
Goodwill	0	0
Total assets	14,845,319	14,166,041
Current liabilities	4,702,717	1,945,943
Current liabilities held for sale	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Long-term operating leases	133,936
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	5,520,830	7,918,581
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	612,482	598,075
Total DaVita Inc. shareholders' equity	3,875,354	3,703,442
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	0	0
Total equity	3,875,354	3,703,442
Total liabilities and equity	14,845,319	14,166,041
Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash and equivalents	12,114	12,048
Accounts receivable, net	1,349,185	1,264,290
Other current assets	568,029	601,318
Current assets held for sale, net	4,842,062	4,440,953
Total current assets	6,771,390	6,318,609
Property and equipment, net	1,610,442	1,624,835
Operating lease right-of-use asset	1,594,411
Intangible assets, net	39,813	42,933
Investments in subsidiaries	3,323,518	3,239,862
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other long-term assets and investments	84,137	80,537
Goodwill	4,812,366	4,812,365
Total assets	18,236,077	16,119,141
Current liabilities	1,182,342	1,251,534
Current liabilities held for sale	1,084,512	722,766
Intercompany payables	3,648,453	3,327,026
Long-term operating leases	1,502,922
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	626,764	715,065
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	0	0
Total DaVita Inc. shareholders' equity	10,191,084	10,102,750
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	0	0
Total equity	10,191,084	10,102,750
Total liabilities and equity	18,236,077	16,119,141
Non- Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	264,895	262,385
Restricted cash and equivalents	89,072	79,329
Accounts receivable, net	604,237	594,318
Other current assets	100,058	122,063
Current assets held for sale, net	1,162,886	948,612
Total current assets	2,221,148	2,006,707
Property and equipment, net	1,278,147	1,277,372
Operating lease right-of-use asset	1,034,888
Intangible assets, net	78,381	75,760
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany receivables	1,496,009	1,471,203
Other long-term assets and investments	196,259	197,696
Goodwill	1,987,002	2,029,595
Total assets	8,291,834	7,058,333
Current liabilities	592,508	449,925
Current liabilities held for sale	668,798	520,993
Intercompany payables	1,604,231	1,563,625
Long-term operating leases	988,918
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	371,980	552,406
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	0	0
Total DaVita Inc. shareholders' equity	3,323,518	3,239,862
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	741,881	731,522
Total equity	4,065,399	3,971,384
Total liabilities and equity	$ 8,291,834	$ 7,058,333