8-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 29, 2005 (March 28, 2005)

HCA INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-11239	75-2497104
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer
		Identification No.)

One Park Plaza, Nashville, Tennessee	37203
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (615) 344-9551

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

     Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

     o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

     o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

     o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

     o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure
	Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits
SIGNATURES
EXHIBIT INDEX
EX-99.1 PRESS RELEASE

Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure

     On March 28, 2005, the Company issued a press release announcing, among other matters, its preliminary results of operations for the first quarter which will end March 31, 2005, the text of which is set forth as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c)

Exhibit
Number	Exhibit Title
99.1	Press Release dated March 28, 2005

SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

HCA INC.
By:	/s/ R. Milton Johnson
	R. Milton Johnson
	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Date: March 29, 2005

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number	Exhibit Title
99.1	Press Release dated March 28, 2005

EX-99.1

                                                                 EXHIBIT 99.1

[COMPANY LOGO]                                                   NEWS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


INVESTOR CONTACT:                                              MEDIA CONTACT:
Mark Kimbrough                                                 Jeff Prescott
(615) 344-2688                                                 (615) 344-5708


                    HCA PREVIEWS FIRST QUARTER 2005 EARNINGS
                         ANNOUNCES HOSPITAL DIVESTITURES

NASHVILLE, TENN., MARCH 28, 2005--HCA (NYSE: HCA) today announced that
preliminary results for its first quarter indicate that net income per diluted
share is expected to range from $0.88 to $0.93 for the quarter ending March 31,
2005, compared to $0.69 per diluted share for the prior year's first quarter.
Operating results for the quarter are expected to benefit from the combined
impact of increased patient volume, effective expense management, improved bad
debt trends (slowing rate of increase in uninsured admissions compared to the
first quarter of 2004 and a continued moderation in the growth rate associated
with the uncollectibility of self-pay receivables) and a reduction in shares
outstanding due to the completion of a modified "Dutch" auction tender offer in
the fourth quarter of 2004.

The Company will address specifics of the quarter along with revised 2005
earnings guidance when actual results for the first quarter are reported on or
about April 21.

HCA also announced its intention to divest 10 acute care hospitals located in
six states. The 10 hospitals are located primarily in rural and small urban
markets, in contrast to the majority of the Company's remaining hospitals which
are located in large urban or suburban markets.

"The divestitures will allow the Company to redeploy capital to support our
hospitals in growing urban markets," stated Jack O. Bovender, Jr., HCA's
Chairman and CEO. "These facilities are viable community assets. We believe that
increased focus and attention and the ability to continue to successfully
compete for capital should provide these facilities the best opportunity for
success in the future. Many of the facilities to be divested have been a part of
HCA for several years and, although it was a difficult decision, we believe the
divestitures are in the best long-term interests of the Company, the affected
hospitals and their local communities."

As a group, the 10 hospitals to be divested had 2004 net revenues of $654
million.

Hospital divestiture list:

                                                                  
1.  Clinch Valley Medical Center, Richlands, VA                  200    beds
2.  Grandview Medical Center, Jasper, TN                          70    beds
3.  River Park Hospital, McMinnville, TN                         127    beds
4.  St. Joseph's Hospital, Parkersburg, WV                       325    beds
5.  Saint Francis Hospital, Charleston, WV                       155    beds
6.  Raleigh General Hospital, Beckley, WV                        369    beds
7.  Putnam General Hospital, Hurricane, WV                        68    beds
8.  North Monroe Medical Center, Monroe, LA                      255    beds
9.  Southwestern Medical Center, Lawton, OK                      212    beds
10. Capital Medical Center, Olympia, WA                          119    beds






The Company believes the divestitures will not have a material effect on its
future financial position or results of operations.

The Company expects the planned disposition of the 10 facilities to be
substantially complete by the fourth quarter of 2005, and it will work to ensure
a smooth transition for all the divested facilities. The Company has retained
Merrill Lynch as its adviser to assist with the divestitures.

                                       ###

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current
management expectations. Those forward-looking statements include all statements
other than those made solely with respect to historical fact, including those
relating to the Company's preliminary results for the first quarter of 2005 and
the Company's intended divestitures of hospitals and their anticipated impact on
the Company's financial statements and results of operations. Numerous risks,
uncertainties and other factors may cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. These factors include,
but are not limited to (i) the finalization of the Company's financial
statements for the first quarter; (ii) the ability of the Company to
successfully effect the planned divestitures; (iii) the ability of the Company
to smoothly transition the divested hospitals; and (iv) other risk factors
detailed in the Company's filings with the SEC. Many of the factors that will
determine the Company's future results are beyond the ability of the Company to
control or predict. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements, which reflect management's views only as of the date hereof. The
Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking
statements, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise.