Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
BALLARD WILLIAM C JR
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
HEALTH CARE REIT INC /DE/ [HCN] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
C/O HEALTH CARE REIT, INC., 4500 DORR STREET		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/26/2012
(Street)

TOLEDO, OH 43615		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 01/29/2012   M   675 A $ 0 (1) 16,631 D  
Common Stock 01/28/2012   M   578 A $ 0 (2) 17,209 D  
Common Stock 01/27/2012   M   645 A $ 0 (3) 17,854 D  
Common Stock               6,700 I Charitable Remainder Trust (4)
Common Stock               1,800 I Charitable Remainder Trust (5)
Common Stock               1,800 I Charitable Remainder Trust (6)
Common Stock               5,000 I Ownership by Spouse (7)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Deferred Stock Units $ 0 (8) 01/29/2012   M     675 01/29/2012(8) 01/29/2012(8) Common 675 (1) $ 0 (8) 3,415 D  
Deferred Stock Units $ 0 (9) 01/28/2012   M     578 01/28/2012(9) 01/28/2012(9) Common 578 (2) $ 0 (9) 2,837 D  
Deferred Stock Units $ 0 (10) 01/27/2012   M     645 01/27/2012(10) 01/27/2012(10) Common 645 (3) $ 0 (10) 2,192 D  
Deferred Stock Units $ 0 (11) 01/26/2012   A   1,658   01/26/2013(11) 01/26/2015(11) Common 1,658 (11) $ 0 (11) 3,850 (12) D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
BALLARD WILLIAM C JR
C/O HEALTH CARE REIT, INC.
4500 DORR STREET
TOLEDO, OH 43615		   X      

Signatures

 By: Erin C. Ibele Attorney-in-Fact For: William C. Ballard, Jr.   01/30/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) The reported transaction was a vesting of 675 deferred stock units on January 29, 2012, resulting in the issuance of 675 shares of common stock. No amount was payable in connection with the vesting or the common stock issuance.
(2) The reported transaction was a vesting of 578 deferred stock units on January 28, 2012, resulting in the issuance of 578 shares of common stock. No amount was payable in connection with the vesting or the common stock issuance.
(3) The reported transaction was a vesting of 645 deferred stock units on January 27, 2012, resulting in the issuance of 645 shares of common stock. No amount was payable in connection with the vesting or the common stock issuance.
(4) William C. Ballard, Jr. Trustee Charitable Remainder Trust #1 for the benefit of Julie W. Ballard.
(5) William C. Ballard, Jr. Trustee Charitable Remainder Trust #2 for the benefit of Elizabeth Ballard Lebhar.
(6) William C. Ballard, Jr. Trustee Charitable Remainder Trust #3 for the benefit of William C. Ballard, III.
(7) Indirect Ownership by Spouse, Julie W. Ballard.
(8) These deferred stock units were granted without cash consideration on January 29, 2009 under the Health Care REIT, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan. Each deferred stock unit represents a right to receive one share of common stock of Health Care REIT, Inc. at the time of vesting of the unit. These deferred stock units vest in three installments, with 676 units having vested on January 29 of each of 2010 and 2011 and 675 units having vested on January 29, 2012.
(9) These deferred stock units were granted without cash consideration on January 28, 2010 under the Amended and Restated Health Care REIT, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan. Each deferred stock unit represents a right to receive one share of common stock of Health Care REIT, Inc. at the time of vesting of the unit. These deferred stock units vest in three installments, with 578 units having vested on January 28 of each of 2011 and 2012 and 577 units vesting on January 28, 2013.
(10) These deferred stock units were granted without cash consideration on January 27, 2011 under the Amended and Restated Health Care REIT, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan. Each deferred stock unit represents a right to receive one share of common stock of Health Care REIT, Inc. at the time of vesting of the unit. These deferred stock units vest in three installments, with 645 units having vested on January 27, 2012 and 644 units vesting on January 27 of each of 2013 and 2014.
(11) These deferred stock units were granted without cash consideration on January 26, 2012 under the Amended and Restated Health Care REIT, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan. Each deferred stock unit represents a right to receive one share of common stock of Health Care REIT, Inc. at the time of vesting of the unit. These deferred stock units vest in three installments, with 553 units vesting on January 26 of each of 2013 and 2014 and 552 units vesting on January 26, 2015.
(12) Includes (i) 577 deferred stock units granted on January 28, 2010 with 577 units vesting on January 28, 2013; (ii) 327 deferred stock units granted on May 6, 2010, with 164 units vesting on May 6, 2012 and 163 units vesting on May 6, 2013; and (iii) 1,288 deferred stock units granted on January 27, 2011, with 644 units vesting on January 27 of each of 2013 and 2014; and (iv) 1,658 deferred stock units granted on January 26, 2012, with 553 units vesting on January 26 of each of 2013 and 2014 and 552 units vesting on January 26, 2015.

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