UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                   WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                          FORM 8-K

                       CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934
                         May 4, 2000
                     ------------------
              (Date of earliest event reported)


         LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS
         ------------------------------------------
   (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


   DELAWARE                1-11353             13-3757370
 --------------          -----------         --------------
(State or other         (Commission         (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of         File Number)         Identification
incorporation)                                    Number)


   358 SOUTH MAIN STREET, BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA 27215
   -------------------------------------------------------
          (Address of principal executive offices)

                        336-229-1127
                        ------------
    (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)




ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS

  On   May   4,  2000,  Laboratory  Corporation  of  America-
Registered Trademark-Holdings  (LabCorp-Registered Trademark-)
announced that it entered into a definitive agreement with San
Diego-based Pathology  Medical Laboratories  (PML)  to  acquire
PML's laboratory testing business. The transaction is scheduled
to be finalized  on or about June 1, 2000, and is contingent on
the satisfaction of certain conditions. Terms of the definitive
agreement were not disclosed.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL
        INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS

 (c)  Exhibit
      20  Press release of the Company dated
          May 4, 2000.



                         SIGNATURES

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

          LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS
          ------------------------------------------
                         (Registrant)

               By:/s/ BRADFORD T. SMITH
                  ------------------------------
                      Bradford T. Smith
                      Executive Vice President,
                      General Counsel, Secretary
                      and Compliance Officer



Date: May 19, 2000



Laboratory Corporation of America-Registered Trademark- Holdings
358 South Main Street
Burlington, NC   27215
Telephone:  336-584-5171

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  336-436-4855             SHAREHOLDER DIRECT: 800-LAB-0401
          PAMELA SHERRY                                WWW.LABCORP.COM



LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- ANNOUNCES
DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE SAN DIEGO-BASED PATHOLOGY MEDICAL
                          LABORATORIES


 Third California Acquisition This Year Continues LabCorp's West
                         Coast Expansion

Burlington, NC, May 4, 2000 -  Laboratory  Corporation  of
America-Registered    Trademark-   Holdings   (LabCorp-Registered
Trademark-) (NYSE:LH) today announced that it has entered  into
a  definitive  agreement with San Diego-based  Pathology  Medical
Laboratories (PML) to acquire PML's laboratory testing  business.
The transaction is scheduled to be finalized on or about June  1,
2000,   and   is  contingent  on  the  satisfaction  of   certain
conditions.    Terms  of  the  definitive  agreement   were   not
disclosed.

"The  combination of LabCorp and PML will further strengthen  our
laboratory   services  in  Southern  California  with  additional
testing  and  patient  service sites,"  said  Richard  L.  Novak,
executive vice president and chief operating officer of  LabCorp.
"Our  recent acquisitions in this key region continue to  improve
capacity  utilization  as  we move to broadly  offer  the  latest
testing and information technologies available today."

Laboratory Corporation of America-Registered Trademark-  Holdings
(LabCorp-Registered Trademark-) is a national clinical laboratory
with  annual  revenues  of $1.7 billion  in  1999.   With  18,000
employees and over 100,000 clients nationwide, the Company offers
more than 2,000 clinical tests ranging from simple blood analyses
to  sophisticated  molecular diagnostics. LabCorp  leverages  its
expertise  in innovative clinical testing technology  with  three
Centers  of  Excellence.  The Center for  Molecular  Biology  and
Pathology,  in  Research  Triangle Park  (RTP),  North  Carolina,
develops   applications  for  polymerase  chain  reaction   (PCR)
technology.  Its Center for Occupational Testing in  RTP  is  the
world's largest substance abuse testing facility, and the  Center


for  Esoteric Testing in Burlington, North Carolina, performs the
largest  volume  of specialty testing in the network.   LabCorp's
clients include physicians, state and federal government, managed
care   organizations,  hospitals,  clinics,  pharmaceutical   and
Fortune 1000 companies, and other clinical laboratories.

Each of the above forward-looking statements is subject to change
based on various important factors, including without limitation,
competitive actions in the marketplace and adverse actions of
governmental and other third-party payors.  Further information
on potential factors that could affect LabCorp's financial
results is included in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1999 and subsequent SEC filings.



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