Condensed consolidating financial statements - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 189,487	$ 225,229
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income	(48,183)	137,310
Net cash provided by operating activities	141,304	362,539
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment	(198,878)	(232,443)
Acquisitions	(11,274)	(16,582)
Proceeds from asset and business sales	13,903	18,535
Proceeds (purchases) from investment sales and other items, net	(4,109)	30,362
Net cash used in investing activities	(200,358)	(200,128)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net	357,197	104,673
Intercompany borrowing (payments)	0	0
Other items	(32,246)	(327,220)
Net cash used in financing activities	324,951	(222,547)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(921)	6,668
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	264,976	(53,468)
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	561,434	447,618
Consolidating adjustments
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(180,686)	(207,613)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income	180,686	207,613
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 (decrease) 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
DaVita Inc. \| Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	149,289	178,686
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income	(124,409)	(82,391)
Net cash provided by operating activities	24,880	96,295
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment	(38,942)	(27,356)
Acquisitions	0
Proceeds from asset and business sales	0	0
Proceeds (purchases) from investment sales and other items, net	1,804	31,665
Net cash used in investing activities	(37,138)	4,309
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net	365,133	116,307
Intercompany borrowing (payments)	(220,697)	47,394
Other items	1,517	(291,562)
Net cash used in financing activities	145,953	(127,861)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	133,695	(27,257)
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	195,353	123,050
Guarantor subsidiaries \| Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	134,535	141,117
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income	(197,096)	32,484
Net cash provided by operating activities	(62,561)	173,601
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment	(112,376)	(125,375)
Acquisitions	0	(4,417)
Proceeds from asset and business sales	1,456	18,535
Proceeds (purchases) from investment sales and other items, net	(4,558)	(762)
Net cash used in investing activities	(115,478)	(112,019)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net	(2,439)	(3,377)
Intercompany borrowing (payments)	229,211	(49,783)
Other items	(8,480)	(2,200)
Net cash used in financing activities	218,292	(55,360)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	40,253	6,222
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	12,114	9,421
Non- Guarantor subsidiaries \| Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	86,349	113,039
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income	92,636	(20,396)
Net cash provided by operating activities	178,985	92,643
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment	(47,560)	(79,712)
Acquisitions	(11,274)	(12,165)
Proceeds from asset and business sales	12,447	0
Proceeds (purchases) from investment sales and other items, net	(1,355)	(541)
Net cash used in investing activities	(47,742)	(92,418)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net	(5,497)	(8,257)
Intercompany borrowing (payments)	(8,514)	2,389
Other items	(25,283)	(33,458)
Net cash used in financing activities	(39,294)	(39,326)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(921)	6,668
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	91,028	(32,433)
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	353,967	315,147
Discontinued Operations
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	118,962	17,834
Discontinued Operations \| Consolidating adjustments
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Discontinued Operations \| DaVita Inc. \| Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Discontinued Operations \| Guarantor subsidiaries \| Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	40,187	6,185
Discontinued Operations \| Non- Guarantor subsidiaries \| Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	78,775	11,649
Continuing Operations
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	146,014	(71,302)
Continuing Operations \| Consolidating adjustments
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Continuing Operations \| DaVita Inc. \| Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	133,695	(27,257)
Continuing Operations \| Guarantor subsidiaries \| Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	66	37
Continuing Operations \| Non- Guarantor subsidiaries \| Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$ 12,253	$ (44,082)

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