<PAGE>

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 18, 2000
                                                      Registration No. 333-_____
===============================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                             ----------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        Under The Securities Act of 1933
                                 ---------------


                        TOTAL RENAL CARE HOLDINGS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
<TABLE>
<S>                                 <C>
         Delaware                            51-0354549
(State or other jurisdiction of            (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)           Identification No.)
</TABLE>

                      21250 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 800
                        Torrance, California 90503-5517
                                 (310) 792-2600
    (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
                  of registrant's principal executive offices)

                           ------------------------

          Total Renal Care Holdings, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan
                            (Full title of the plan)

                               Barry C. Cosgrove
                      Senior Vice President and Secretary
                        Total Renal Care Holdings, Inc.
                      21250 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 800
                        Torrance, California 90503-5517
                                 (310) 792-2600
 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
                             of agent for service)

                           ------------------------

                                   Copies to:
                              James W. Loss, Esq.
                               Riordan & McKinzie
                        600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1800
                       Costa Mesa, California 92626-1924
                                 (714) 433-2626
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=======================================================================================
 Title of each class of       Amount        Maximum          Maximum        Amount of
    securities to be          to be      Offering Price     Aggregate      Registration
       registered           Registered   Per Share/(1)/   Offering Price       Fee
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                         <C>          <C>              <C>              <C>
Common Stock                 800,000     $  3.875         $  3,100,000.00  $  819.00
=======================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)   Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
      pursuant to Rule 457, based on the average of the high and low sales
      prices of the Company's Common Stock on February 15, 2000, respectively,
      as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.
<PAGE>

                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         Total Renal Care Holdings, Inc. (the "Company") hereby incorporates
herein by reference the contents of the Registration Statement of the Company on
Form S-8 dated November 29, 1995, Registration No. 33-99862.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         The validity of the issuance of the shares of Common Stock registered
hereby (the "Shares") has been passed upon for the Company by Steven J.
Udicious, Acting General Counsel of the Company. Mr. Udicious holds stock and
options to purchase stock granted under the Company's employee stock plans which
in the aggregate represent less than 1% of the Common Stock.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

5.1      Opinion of Steven J. Udicious, Acting General Counsel, Total Renal Care
         Holdings, Inc.

23.1     Consent of Steven J. Udicious, Acting General Counsel, Total Renal Care
         Holdings, Inc. (included in Exhibit 5.1).

23.2     Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

24.1     Powers of Attorney (included on page II-2).

                                     II-1
<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized in the City of Torrance, State of California, on February 18, 2000.

                               TOTAL RENAL CARE HOLDINGS, INC.


                               By: /s/ Kent J. Thiry
                                   ----------------------------------------
                                     Kent J. Thiry
                                     Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


                               POWERS OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below constitutes and appoints Kent J. Thiry and Steven J. Udicious, and each of
them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in
any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration
statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents
in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting
unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary
to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he
might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their or his substitute or
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration
statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
dates indicated:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
        Signature                            Title                           Date
        ---------                            -----                           ----
<S>                          <C>                                        <C>
/s/   Kent J. Thiry         Chairman and Chief Executive Officer       February 18, 2000
-------------------------    (Principal Executive Officer)
      Kent J. Thiry

/s/ Richard K. Whitney      Chief Financial Officer                    February 18, 2000
-------------------------    (Principal Financial Officer)
    Richard K. Whitney

/s/ John J. McDonough       Vice President and Chief Accounting        February 18, 2000
-------------------------    Officer (Principal Accounting
    John J. McDonough        Officer

/s/ Maris Andersons         Director                                   February 18, 2000
-------------------------
    Maris Andersons

/s/ Richard B. Fontaine     Director                                   February 18, 2000
-------------------------
   Richard B. Fontaine

/s/  Peter T. Grauer        Director                                   February 18, 2000
-------------------------
     Peter T. Grauer

                            Director                                   February __, 2000
-------------------------
  C. Raymond Larkin, Jr.

/s/ Shaul G. Massry         Director                                   February 18, 2000
-------------------------
    Shaul G. Massry
</TABLE>

                                     II-2
<PAGE>

                               Index To Exhibits

Sequentially
Numbered
Exhibit                      Description                 Page Number
-------------                -----------                 -----------


5.1    Opinion of Steven J. Udicious, Acting General Counsel, Total Renal Care
       Holdings, Inc.

23.1   Consent of Steven J. Udicious, Acting General Counsel, Total Renal Care
       Holdings, Inc. (included in Exhibit 5.1).

23.2  Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

24.1  Powers of Attorney (included on page II-2).

                                     II-3
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 8631}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "TOTAL RENAL CARE HOLDINGS INC", "cik": "0000927066", "assigned-sic": "8090", "irs-number": "510354549", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-30736", "film-number": "549607"}, "business-address": {"street1": "21250 HAWTHORNE BLVD", "street2": "SIE 800", "city": "TORRANCE", "state": "CA", "zip": "90503-5517", "phone": "3107922600"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "21250 HAWTHORNE BLVD SUITE 800", "street2": "21250 HAWTHORNE BLVD SUITE 800", "city": "TORRANCE", "state": "CA", "zip": "90503-5517"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "TOTAL RENAL CARE INC", "date-changed": "19940719"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 18, 2000
                                                      Registration No. 333-_____
===============================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                             ----------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        Under The Securities Act of 1933
                                 ---------------

                        TOTAL RENAL CARE HOLDINGS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware                            51-0354549
(State or other jurisdiction of            (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)           Identification No.)
21250 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 800
                        Torrance, California 90503-5517
                                 (310) 792-2600
    (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
                  of registrant's principal executive offices)

                           ------------------------

          Total Renal Care Holdings, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan
                            (Full title of the plan)

                               Barry C. Cosgrove
                      Senior Vice President and Secretary
                        Total Renal Care Holdings, Inc.
                      21250 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 800
                        Torrance, California 90503-5517
                                 (310) 792-2600
 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
                             of agent for service)

                           ------------------------

                                   Copies to:
                              James W. Loss, Esq.
                               Riordan & McKinzie
                        600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1800
                       Costa Mesa, California 92626-1924
                                 (714) 433-2626
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=======================================================================================
 Title of each class of       Amount        Maximum          Maximum        Amount of
    securities to be          to be      Offering Price     Aggregate      Registration
       registered           Registered   Per Share/(1)/   Offering Price       Fee
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock                 800,000     $  3.875         $  3,100,000.00  $  819.00
=======================================================================================
(1)   Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
      pursuant to Rule 457, based on the average of the high and low sales
      prices of the Company's Common Stock on February 15, 2000, respectively,
      as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         Total Renal Care Holdings, Inc. (the "Company") hereby incorporates
herein by reference the contents of the Registration Statement of the Company on
Form S-8 dated November 29, 1995, Registration No. 33-99862.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         The validity of the issuance of the shares of Common Stock registered
hereby (the "Shares") has been passed upon for the Company by Steven J.
Udicious, Acting General Counsel of the Company. Mr. Udicious holds stock and
options to purchase stock granted under the Company's employee stock plans which
in the aggregate represent less than 1% of the Common Stock.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

5.1      Opinion of Steven J. Udicious, Acting General Counsel, Total Renal Care
         Holdings, Inc.

23.1     Consent of Steven J. Udicious, Acting General Counsel, Total Renal Care
         Holdings, Inc. (included in Exhibit 5.1).

23.2     Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

24.1     Powers of Attorney (included on page II-2).

                                     II-1
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized in the City of Torrance, State of California, on February 18, 2000.

                               TOTAL RENAL CARE HOLDINGS, INC.

                               By: /s/ Kent J. Thiry
                                   ----------------------------------------
                                     Kent J. Thiry
                                     Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

                               POWERS OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below constitutes and appoints Kent J. Thiry and Steven J. Udicious, and each of
them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in
any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration
statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents
in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting
unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary
to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he
might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their or his substitute or
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration
statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
dates indicated:
Signature                            Title                           Date
        ---------                            -----                           ----
/s/   Kent J. Thiry         Chairman and Chief Executive Officer       February 18, 2000
-------------------------    (Principal Executive Officer)
      Kent J. Thiry

/s/ Richard K. Whitney      Chief Financial Officer                    February 18, 2000
-------------------------    (Principal Financial Officer)
    Richard K. Whitney

/s/ John J. McDonough       Vice President and Chief Accounting        February 18, 2000
-------------------------    Officer (Principal Accounting
    John J. McDonough        Officer

/s/ Maris Andersons         Director                                   February 18, 2000
-------------------------
    Maris Andersons

/s/ Richard B. Fontaine     Director                                   February 18, 2000
-------------------------
   Richard B. Fontaine

/s/  Peter T. Grauer        Director                                   February 18, 2000
-------------------------
     Peter T. Grauer

                            Director                                   February __, 2000
-------------------------
  C. Raymond Larkin, Jr.

/s/ Shaul G. Massry         Director                                   February 18, 2000
-------------------------
    Shaul G. Massry
II-2
Index To Exhibits

Sequentially
Numbered
Exhibit                      Description                 Page Number
-------------                -----------                 -----------

5.1    Opinion of Steven J. Udicious, Acting General Counsel, Total Renal Care
       Holdings, Inc.

23.1   Consent of Steven J. Udicious, Acting General Counsel, Total Renal Care
       Holdings, Inc. (included in Exhibit 5.1).

23.2  Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

24.1  Powers of Attorney (included on page II-2).

                                     II-3