Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,472,232	$ 913,187	$ 1,041,427	$ 1,499,116
Accounts receivable, net	1,900,561	1,917,302
Other current assets	1,231,107	1,149,739
Total current assets	4,603,900	3,980,228
Property and equipment, net	3,171,199	3,175,367
Amortizable intangibles, net	1,487,029	1,527,767
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other long-term assets and investments	673,666	650,578
Goodwill	9,452,470	9,407,317		9,294,479
Total assets	19,388,264	18,741,257
Current liabilities	2,813,577	2,696,445
Intercompany payables	0	0
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	10,254,248	10,221,813
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	979,848	973,258
Total DaVita Inc. shareholder's equity	5,139,929	4,648,047
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	200,662	201,694
Shareholders’ equity	5,340,591	4,849,741
Total liabilities and equity	19,388,264	18,741,257
Consolidating adjustments
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Amortizable intangibles, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(12,565,623)	(11,720,388)
Intercompany receivables	(3,998,551)	(4,117,647)
Other long-term assets and investments	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Total assets	(16,564,174)	(15,838,035)
Current liabilities	0	0
Intercompany payables	(3,998,551)	(4,117,647)
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	0	0
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	394,531	365,657
Total DaVita Inc. shareholder's equity	(12,565,623)	(11,720,388)
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	(394,531)	(365,657)
Shareholders’ equity	(12,960,154)	(12,086,045)
Total liabilities and equity	(16,564,174)	(15,838,035)
DaVita Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,078,071	549,921	667,109	1,186,636
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Other current assets	339,626	277,911
Total current assets	1,417,697	827,832
Property and equipment, net	347,805	337,200
Amortizable intangibles, net	421	487
Investments in subsidiaries	10,231,471	9,717,728
Intercompany receivables	2,840,305	3,250,692
Other long-term assets and investments	45,042	39,994
Goodwill	0	0
Total assets	14,882,741	14,173,933
Current liabilities	557,557	303,840
Intercompany payables	0	0
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	8,599,938	8,614,445
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	585,317	607,601
Total DaVita Inc. shareholder's equity	5,139,929	4,648,047
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	0	0
Shareholders’ equity	5,139,929	4,648,047
Total liabilities and equity	14,882,741	14,173,933
Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	74,633	59,192	73,221	109,357
Accounts receivable, net	1,216,764	1,215,232
Other current assets	814,917	736,727
Total current assets	2,106,314	2,011,151
Property and equipment, net	1,664,888	1,689,798
Amortizable intangibles, net	1,448,086	1,491,057
Investments in subsidiaries	2,334,152	2,002,660
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other long-term assets and investments	87,414	86,710
Goodwill	7,858,841	7,838,984
Total assets	15,499,695	15,120,360
Current liabilities	1,697,937	1,865,193
Intercompany payables	2,337,683	2,322,124
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	1,232,604	1,215,315
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	0	0
Total DaVita Inc. shareholder's equity	10,231,471	9,717,728
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	0	0
Shareholders’ equity	10,231,471	9,717,728
Total liabilities and equity	15,499,695	15,120,360
Non- Guarantor subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	319,528	304,074	$ 301,097	$ 203,123
Accounts receivable, net	683,797	702,070
Other current assets	76,564	135,101
Total current assets	1,079,889	1,141,245
Property and equipment, net	1,158,506	1,148,369
Amortizable intangibles, net	38,522	36,223
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany receivables	1,158,246	866,955
Other long-term assets and investments	541,210	523,874
Goodwill	1,593,629	1,568,333
Total assets	5,570,002	5,284,999
Current liabilities	558,083	527,412
Intercompany payables	1,660,868	1,795,523
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	421,706	392,053
Noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions	0	0
Total DaVita Inc. shareholder's equity	2,334,152	2,002,660
Noncontrolling interests not subject to put provisions	595,193	567,351
Shareholders’ equity	2,929,345	2,570,011
Total liabilities and equity	$ 5,570,002	$ 5,284,999