Condensed consolidating financial statements - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,381,764	$ 1,102,372
Restricted cash and equivalents	106,724	106,346
Accounts receivable, net	1,820,132	1,795,598
Other current assets	715,319	685,854
Total current assets	4,023,939	3,690,170
Property and equipment, net	3,445,423	3,473,384
Operating lease right-of-use asset	2,847,776	2,830,047
Intangible assets, net	117,953	135,684
Investments in and advances to affiliates, net	0	0
Other long-term assets and investments	383,186	394,474
Goodwill	6,778,023	6,787,635	$ 6,841,960
Total assets	17,596,300	17,311,394
Current liabilities	2,220,746	2,372,098
Intercompany liabilities, net	0	0
Long-term operating lease liabilities	2,734,370	2,723,800
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	9,279,804	8,715,878
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	1,228,036	1,180,376
Total DaVita Inc. shareholders' equity	1,947,846	2,133,409
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	185,498	185,833
Total equity	2,133,344	2,319,242
Total liabilities and equity	17,596,300	17,311,394
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	(28,034)	(41,896)
Total current assets	(28,034)	(41,896)
Property and equipment, net	(2,614)	(4,508)
Operating lease right-of-use asset	(17,987)	(20,065)
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in and advances to affiliates, net	(21,929,904)	(21,476,601)
Other long-term assets and investments	(20,524)	(18,318)
Goodwill	0	0
Total assets	(21,999,063)	(21,561,388)
Current liabilities	(985)	(1,036)
Intercompany liabilities, net	(7,328,028)	(7,048,222)
Long-term operating lease liabilities	(17,125)	(19,244)
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	(51,049)	(64,507)
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	532,414	532,776
Total DaVita Inc. shareholders' equity	(14,601,876)	(14,428,379)
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	(532,414)	(532,776)
Total equity	(15,134,290)	(14,961,155)
Total liabilities and equity	(21,999,063)	(21,561,388)
DaVita Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,075,965	758,241
Restricted cash and equivalents	14,540	14,499
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Other current assets	86,786	76,787
Total current assets	1,177,291	849,527
Property and equipment, net	555,409	543,932
Operating lease right-of-use asset	107,620	109,415
Intangible assets, net	340	362
Investments in and advances to affiliates, net	10,961,209	10,813,991
Other long-term assets and investments	85,777	102,779
Goodwill	0	0
Total assets	12,887,646	12,420,006
Current liabilities	365,783	379,286
Intercompany liabilities, net	1,534,892	1,381,863
Long-term operating lease liabilities	133,926	136,123
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	8,209,577	7,741,725
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	695,622	647,600
Total DaVita Inc. shareholders' equity	1,947,846	2,133,409
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	0	0
Total equity	1,947,846	2,133,409
Total liabilities and equity	12,887,646	12,420,006
Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	411	532
Restricted cash and equivalents	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	1,184,686	1,189,301
Other current assets	556,210	548,553
Total current assets	1,741,307	1,738,386
Property and equipment, net	1,555,662	1,589,417
Operating lease right-of-use asset	1,643,765	1,656,145
Intangible assets, net	28,766	31,569
Investments in and advances to affiliates, net	7,869,131	7,611,402
Other long-term assets and investments	130,528	133,698
Goodwill	4,812,207	4,812,972
Total assets	17,781,366	17,573,589
Current liabilities	1,172,340	1,327,378
Intercompany liabilities, net	3,099,564	3,051,208
Long-term operating lease liabilities	1,554,717	1,567,776
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	786,685	674,558
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	0	0
Total DaVita Inc. shareholders' equity	11,168,060	10,952,669
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	0	0
Total equity	11,168,060	10,952,669
Total liabilities and equity	17,781,366	17,573,589
Non- Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	305,388	343,599
Restricted cash and equivalents	92,184	91,847
Accounts receivable, net	635,446	606,297
Other current assets	100,357	102,410
Total current assets	1,133,375	1,144,153
Property and equipment, net	1,336,966	1,344,543
Operating lease right-of-use asset	1,114,378	1,084,552
Intangible assets, net	88,847	103,753
Investments in and advances to affiliates, net	3,099,564	3,051,208
Other long-term assets and investments	187,405	176,315
Goodwill	1,965,816	1,974,663
Total assets	8,926,351	8,879,187
Current liabilities	683,608	666,470
Intercompany liabilities, net	2,693,572	2,615,151
Long-term operating lease liabilities	1,062,852	1,039,145
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	334,591	364,102
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	0	0
Total DaVita Inc. shareholders' equity	3,433,816	3,475,710
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	717,912	718,609
Total equity	4,151,728	4,194,319
Total liabilities and equity	$ 8,926,351	$ 8,879,187