CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY (unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Total	Total Restricted Stock Units	Total Stock Appreciation Rights	Non- controlling interests subject to put provisions	Common stock	Common stock Restricted Stock Units	Common stock Stock Appreciation Rights	Additional paid-in capital	Additional paid-in capital Restricted Stock Units	Additional paid-in capital Stock Appreciation Rights	Retained earnings	Treasury stock	Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	Non- controlling interests not subject to put provisions
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle		$ 0										$ 8,368		$ (8,368)
Temporary equity, start balance at Dec. 31, 2017					$ 1,011,360
Increase (Decrease) in Temporary Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income					77,803
Distributions					(85,372)
Contributions					26,367
Acquisitions and divestitures					11,262
Partial purchases					(869)
Fair value remeasurements					23,861
Temporary equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2018					1,064,412
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2017		4,690,029				$ 182			$ 1,042,899			3,633,713	$ 0	13,235	$ 196,037
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017						182,462,000							0
Comprehensive income:
Net income attributable to DaVita Inc.	$ 309,166	309,166										309,166			47,914
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(33,976)	(33,976)												(33,976)
Stock unit shares issued (in shares)							154,000	212,000
Stock-settled SAR shares issued			$ (448)	$ (4,886)				$ (1)		$ (448)	$ (4,887)
Stock-settled stock-based compensation expense		59,539							59,539
Changes in noncontrolling interest from:
Distributions															(54,301)
Contributions															16,812
Acquisitions and divestitures		79							79
Acquisitions and divestitures, non-controlling interest															(212)
Partial purchases		(17,482)							(17,482)						(1,637)
Fair value remeasurements	0	(23,861)							(23,861)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)													(16,844,000)
Purchase of treasury stock		(1,153,511)											$ (1,153,511)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2018		3,824,649				$ 183			1,055,839			3,951,247	$ (1,153,511)	(29,109)	204,613
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2018						182,828,000							(16,844,000)
Temporary equity, start balance at Jun. 30, 2018					1,047,158
Increase (Decrease) in Temporary Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income					25,525
Distributions					(27,375)
Contributions					7,191
Acquisitions and divestitures					10,597
Partial purchases					(49)
Fair value remeasurements					1,365
Temporary equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2018					1,064,412
Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2018		4,279,184				$ 183			1,022,783			4,088,043	$ (809,900)	(21,925)	205,323
Beginning balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2018						182,815,000							(11,995,000)
Comprehensive income:
Net income attributable to DaVita Inc.	(136,796)	(136,796)										(136,796)			14,603
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(7,184)	(7,184)												(7,184)
Stock unit shares issued (in shares)							8,000	5,000
Stock-settled SAR shares issued				$ (1)							$ (1)
Stock-settled stock-based compensation expense		39,707							39,707
Changes in noncontrolling interest from:
Distributions															(18,292)
Contributions															4,419
Acquisitions and divestitures, non-controlling interest															(9)
Partial purchases		(5,285)							(5,285)						(1,431)
Fair value remeasurements	98	(1,365)							(1,365)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)													(4,849,000)
Purchase of treasury stock		(343,611)											$ (343,611)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2018		3,824,649				$ 183			1,055,839			3,951,247	$ (1,153,511)	(29,109)	204,613
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2018						182,828,000							(16,844,000)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle		39,876			(38)							39,876			(6)
Temporary equity, start balance at Dec. 31, 2018					1,124,641
Increase (Decrease) in Temporary Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income					102,078
Distributions					98,103
Contributions					24,714
Acquisitions and divestitures					1,782
Partial purchases					(2,240)
Fair value remeasurements					143,225
Temporary equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019					1,296,059
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 3,908,398	3,703,442				$ 166			995,006			2,743,194	$ 0	(34,924)	204,956
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018	166,387,307					166,387,000							0
Comprehensive income:
Net income attributable to DaVita Inc.	$ 566,110	566,110										566,110			50,144
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(42,680)	(42,680)												(42,680)
Stock unit shares issued (in shares)							154,000
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Restricted Stock Award, Net of Forfeitures							$ 1
Stock-settled SAR shares issued			(3,245)							$ (3,246)
Stock-settled stock-based compensation expense		47,723							47,723
Changes in noncontrolling interest from:
Distributions															59,067
Contributions															19,381
Acquisitions and divestitures, non-controlling interest															(1,981)
Partial purchases		10,732							10,732						(19,480)
Fair value remeasurements	$ 0	(143,225)							(143,225)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)	(32,652,000)												(32,652,000)
Purchase of treasury stock	$ (1,860,157)	(1,860,157)											$ (1,860,157)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019	$ 2,512,523	2,318,576				$ 167			906,990			3,349,180	$ (1,860,157)	(77,604)	193,947
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019	133,888,864					166,541,000							(32,652,000)
Temporary equity, start balance at Jun. 30, 2019					1,185,733
Increase (Decrease) in Temporary Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income					38,778
Distributions					(37,868)
Contributions					8,946
Acquisitions and divestitures					(91)
Partial purchases					8
Fair value remeasurements					100,553
Temporary equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019					$ 1,296,059
Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2019		4,049,298				$ 167			989,021			3,205,910	$ (112,189)	(33,611)	193,771
Beginning balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2019						166,533,000							(2,060,000)
Comprehensive income:
Net income attributable to DaVita Inc.	$ 143,270	143,270										143,270			19,640
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(43,993)	(43,993)												(43,993)
Stock unit shares issued (in shares)							8,000
Stock-settled SAR shares issued			$ 0
Stock-settled stock-based compensation expense		18,724							18,724
Changes in noncontrolling interest from:
Distributions															(23,588)
Contributions															3,868
Acquisitions and divestitures, non-controlling interest															10
Partial purchases		(202)							(202)						246
Fair value remeasurements	$ 0	(100,553)							(100,553)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)	(30,592,000)												(30,592,000)
Purchase of treasury stock	$ (1,747,968)	(1,747,968)											$ (1,747,968)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019	$ 2,512,523	$ 2,318,576				$ 167			$ 906,990			$ 3,349,180	$ (1,860,157)	$ (77,604)	$ 193,947
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019	133,888,864					166,541,000							(32,652,000)