Condensed consolidating financial statements - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 201,688	$ (96,668)	$ 718,332	$ 434,883
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income			673,493	947,365
Net cash provided by operating activities			1,391,825	1,382,248
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment	(173,265)	(231,682)	(547,183)	(705,659)
Acquisitions			(77,348)	(113,526)
Proceeds from asset and business sales			3,863,619	135,268
purchases from investment sales and other items, net			(105,063)	22,598
Net cash used in investing activities			3,134,025	(661,319)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net			(2,050,012)	845,836
Intercompany borrowings (payments)			0	0
Other items			(1,953,752)	(1,269,175)
Net cash used in financing activities			(4,003,764)	(423,339)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(4,178)	(5,790)
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			517,908	291,800
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	1,357,141	540,155	1,357,141	540,155
Consolidating adjustments
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	(166,245)	61,323	(766,205)	(583,723)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income			766,205	583,723
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
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 borrowings (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 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	0	0
DaVita Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	143,270	(136,796)	566,110	309,166
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income			(336,223)	(235,558)
Net cash provided by operating activities			229,887	73,608
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment			(106,476)	(124,585)
Acquisitions			0
Proceeds from asset and business sales			3,824,516	0
purchases from investment sales and other items, net			(94,322)	32,345
Net cash used in investing activities			3,623,718	(92,240)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net			(2,028,954)	866,537
Intercompany borrowings (payments)			785,450	454,410
Other items			(1,840,245)	(1,154,921)
Net cash used in financing activities			(3,083,749)	166,026
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			769,856	147,394
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	831,514	297,701	831,514	297,701
Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	130,036	135,218	554,258	547,382
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income			(74,600)	(104,179)
Net cash provided by operating activities			479,658	443,203
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment			(218,839)	(296,028)
Acquisitions			(11,832)	(5,646)
Proceeds from asset and business sales			(244)	55,035
purchases from investment sales and other items, net			(7,474)	(2,295)
Net cash used in investing activities			(238,389)	(248,934)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net			(8,025)	(8,601)
Intercompany borrowings (payments)			(14,854)	(174,148)
Other items			(3,591)	(18,713)
Net cash used in financing activities			(26,470)	(201,462)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			214,799	(7,193)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at beginning of the year			13,280	19,963
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at end of the period	228,079	12,770	228,079	12,770
Non- Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	94,627	(156,413)	364,169	162,058
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash items included in net income			318,111	703,379
Net cash provided by operating activities			682,280	865,437
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of property and equipment			(221,868)	(285,046)
Acquisitions			(65,516)	(107,880)
Proceeds from asset and business sales			39,347	80,233
purchases from investment sales and other items, net			(3,267)	(7,452)
Net cash used in investing activities			(251,304)	(320,145)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Long-term debt and related financing costs, net			(13,033)	(12,100)
Intercompany borrowings (payments)			(770,596)	(280,262)
Other items			(109,916)	(95,541)
Net cash used in financing activities			(893,545)	(387,903)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(4,178)	(5,790)
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(466,747)	151,599
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at beginning of the year			340,482	348,650
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of continuing operations at end of the period	$ 297,548	$ 229,684	297,548	229,684
Discontinued Operations
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(423,813)	270,565
Discontinued Operations | Consolidating adjustments
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Discontinued Operations | DaVita Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Discontinued Operations | Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Discontinued Operations | Non- Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(423,813)	270,565
Continuing Operations
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			941,721	21,235
Continuing Operations | Consolidating adjustments
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Continuing Operations | DaVita Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			769,856	147,394
Continuing Operations | Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			214,799	(7,193)
Continuing Operations | Non- Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			$ (42,934)	$ (118,966)