Exhibit 99

                         LifePoint Hospitals Negotiating
                  Modification of Purchase Agreement with HCA


    BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2006--LifePoint
Hospitals, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT) today announced that it had entered
into discussions with HCA to modify a purchase agreement under which
LifePoint would have acquired four hospitals in West Virginia and one
in Virginia on March 31, 2006. HCA will continue to operate the
hospitals until further notice.
    LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. is a leading hospital company focused on
providing healthcare services in non-urban communities. Of the
Company's 52 hospitals, 49 are in communities where LifePoint
Hospitals is the sole community hospital provider. LifePoint
Hospitals' non-urban operating strategy offers continued operational
improvement by focusing on its five core values: delivering high
quality patient care, supporting physicians, creating excellent
workplaces for its employees, providing community value and ensuring
fiscal responsibility. Headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee,
LifePoint Hospitals is affiliated with approximately 19,000 employees.

    Important Legal Information

    This release includes forward-looking statements based on current
management expectations. Numerous factors exist which may cause
results to differ from these expectations. Many of the factors that
will determine LifePoint Hospitals' future results are beyond
LifePoint Hospitals' ability to control or predict with accuracy. Such
forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations and
beliefs of the management of LifePoint Hospitals, are not guarantees
of performance of LifePoint Hospitals, and are subject to a number of
risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause
actual results to differ from those described in the forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements may also be subject to
other risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, (i) the
possibility that problems may arise in successfully integrating the
businesses of LifePoint Hospitals and Province and achieving
cost-cutting synergies; (ii) reduction in payments to healthcare
providers by government and commercial third-party payors, as well as
changes in the manner in which employers provide healthcare coverage
to their employees; (iii) the possibility of adverse changes in, and
requirements of, applicable laws, regulations, policies and
procedures, including those required by LifePoint Hospitals' corporate
integrity agreement; (iv) the ability to manage healthcare risks,
including malpractice litigation, and the lack of state and federal
tort reform; (v) the availability, cost and terms of insurance
coverage; (vi) the highly competitive nature of the healthcare
business, including the competition to recruit and retain physicians
and other healthcare professionals; (vii) the ability to attract and
retain qualified management and personnel; (viii) the geographic
concentration of LifePoint Hospitals' operations; (ix) the ability to
acquire hospitals on favorable terms and complete budgeted capital
improvements successfully; (x) the ability to operate and integrate
newly acquired facilities successfully; (xi) the availability and
terms of capital to fund LifePoint Hospitals' business strategies;
(xii) changes in LifePoint Hospitals' liquidity or the amount or terms
of its indebtedness and in its credit ratings; (xiii) the potential
adverse impact of government investigations and litigation involving
the business practices of healthcare providers, including
whistleblowers investigations; (xiv) changes in or interpretations of
generally accepted accounting principles or practices; (xv) volatility
in the market value of LifePoint Hospitals' common stock; (xvi)
changes in general economic conditions in the markets LifePoint
Hospitals serves; (xvii) LifePoint Hospitals' reliance on information
technology systems maintained by HCA Inc.; (xviii) the costs of
complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and (xix) those
risks and uncertainties described from time to time in LifePoint
Hospitals' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Therefore, LifePoint Hospitals' future results may differ materially
from those described in this release. LifePoint Hospitals undertakes
no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, or to make any
other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
    All references to "LifePoint Hospitals" as used throughout this
release refer to LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. and its subsidiaries.


    CONTACT: LifePoint Hospitals, Inc., Brentwood
             Michael J. Culotta, 615-372-8512