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		$ 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					25,389
Distributions					(27,565)
Contributions					6,415
Acquisitions and divestitures					1,762
Partial purchases					(1,967)
Fair value remeasurements					14,407
Temporary equity, ending balance at Mar. 31, 2019					1,143,044
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2018		3,703,442				$ 166			$ 995,006			2,743,194	$ 0	$ (34,924)	204,956
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018						166,387,000							0
Comprehensive income:
Net income attributable to DaVita Inc.	$ 149,289	149,289										149,289			14,809
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(12,627)	(12,627)												(12,627)
Stock unit shares issued (in shares)							9,000	0
Stock-settled SAR shares issued			$ (104)	$ 0						$ (104)
Stock-settled stock-based compensation expense		12,091							12,091
Changes in noncontrolling interest from:
Distributions															(16,665)
Contributions															12,532
Acquisitions and divestitures		0							0
Acquisitions and divestitures, non-controlling interest															0
Partial purchases		(2,206)							(2,206)						(4,307)
Fair value remeasurements		(14,407)							(14,407)
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2019		3,875,354				$ 166			990,380			2,932,359	$ 0	(47,551)	211,319
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2019						166,396,000							0
Temporary equity, start balance at Dec. 31, 2019					1,180,376
Increase (Decrease) in Temporary Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income					32,176
Distributions					(37,566)
Contributions					5,283
Partial purchases					(255)
Fair value remeasurements					48,022
Temporary equity, ending balance at Mar. 31, 2020					$ 1,228,036
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 2,319,242	2,133,409				$ 126			749,043			1,431,738	$ 0	(47,498)	185,833
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019	125,842,853					125,843,000							0
Comprehensive income:
Net income attributable to DaVita Inc.	$ 239,593	239,593										239,593			16,126
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(93,027)	(93,027)												(93,027)
Stock purchase shares issued		0
Stock unit shares issued (in shares)							8,000	6,000
Stock-settled SAR shares issued			$ (75)	$ (245)						$ (75)	$ (245)
Stock-settled stock-based compensation expense		19,797							19,797
Changes in noncontrolling interest from:
Distributions															(20,565)
Contributions															4,104
Partial purchases		(445)							(445)
Fair value remeasurements		(48,022)							(48,022)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)													(4,052,000)
Purchase of treasury stock		(303,139)											$ (303,139)
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2020	$ 2,133,344	$ 1,947,846				$ 126			$ 720,053			$ 1,671,331	$ (303,139)	$ (140,525)	$ 185,498
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2020	121,804,880					125,857,000							(4,052,000)