Additional Payment To The Buyer Related To The Final Agreement On The Purchase Price

No definition available.

Name:	dva_AdditionalPaymentToTheBuyerRelatedToTheFinalAgreementOnThePurchasePrice
Namespace Prefix:	dva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Loss (Gain) On Disposition Of Business Interests Before Tax

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dva_LossGainOnDispositionOfBusinessInterestsBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	dva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Purchase And Sale Agreement Aggregate Purchase Price.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dva_PurchaseAndSaleAgreementAggregatePurchasePrice
Namespace Prefix:	dva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date when the business acquisition agreement was executed, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionDateOfAcquisitionAgreement1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date when the acquirer obtains control of the acquiree, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116868678&loc=d3e848-128460

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116868678&loc=d3e845-128460

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=79982066&loc=d3e1392-128463

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionEffectiveDateOfAcquisition1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of tangible or intangible assets, including a business or subsidiary of the acquirer transferred by the entity to the former owners of the acquiree. Excludes cash.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120321790&loc=d3e6927-128479

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferredOther1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of gain (loss) from sale and disposal of integrated set of activities and assets capable of being conducted and managed for purpose of providing return in form of dividend, lower cost, or other economic benefit to investor, owner, member and participant.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121586364&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109239629&loc=SL4582445-111684

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of businesses acquired by the entity during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120321790&loc=d3e6927-128479

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121586364&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash inflow associated with the amount received from the sale of a portion of the company's business, for example a segment, division, branch or other business, during the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121586364&loc=d3e3179-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the cash inflow during the period from the sale of a component of the entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinessesNetOfCashDivested
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis=dva_DMGAcquisitionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupClassificationAxis=us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationsHeldforsaleMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis=dva_DaVitaMedicalGroupMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis=dva_CoronavirusAidReliefAndEconomicSecurityActAdditionalTaxBenefitMemberMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations - Additional Information (Details) $ in Thousands			3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 19, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 05, 2017	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Jun. 18, 2019 USD ($) clinic	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Loss on sale of discontinued operations before taxes						$ (24,248)	$ (23,022)
Proceeds from sale of DMG division	$ 4,465,476
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses, Net of Cash Divested	$ 3,824,509
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business						(16,252)	0	$ 60,603
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross						182,013	100,861	183,156
Series of individually immaterial business acquisitions
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross						182,013	98,836	176,161
DMG Acquisitions \| Series of individually immaterial business acquisitions
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired \| clinic					2
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross					$ 2,025			6,995
Business combination, deferred purchase price					$ 212			1,142
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale \| DMG - discontinued operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Business acquisition, effective date of acquisition	Jun. 19, 2019
Purchase And Sale Agreement Aggregate Purchase Price	$ 4,340,000
Business Acquisition, Date of Acquisition Agreement		Dec. 05, 2017
Loss on sale of discontinued operations before taxes						$ (7,996)	$ (23,022)	$ 0
Additional Payment To The Buyer Related To The Final Agreement On The Purchase Price			$ 47,000
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business			$ (17,976)
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale \| DMG - discontinued operations \| Coronavirus Aid Relief And Economic Security Act Additional Tax Benefit Member [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business				$ 9,980