<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 05/31/95
000 C000000 0000887398
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 Y
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 PUTNAM TAX-FREE HEALTH CARE FUND
001 B000000 811-6659
001 C000000 6172921471
002 A000000 ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-7974
008 D010001 BOSTON
008 D020001 MA
008 D030001 02109
011 A000001 PUTNAM MUTUAL FUNDS CORP
011 B000001 8-5088
011 C010001 BOSTON
011 C020001 MA
011 C030001 02109
012 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTOR SERVICES
012 B000001 84-401299
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02109
013 A000001 PRICE WATERHOUSE
013 B010001 BOSTON
013 B020001 MA
<PAGE> PAGE 2
013 B030001 02109
015 A000001 PUTNAM FIDUCIARY TRUST CO.
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 BOSTON
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02109
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 86
019 C000000 PUTNAMFUND
020 A000001 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
020 B000001 13-5674085
020 C000001 2
020 A000002 DEAN WITTER REYNOLDS INC.
020 B000002 94-1671384
020 C000002 1
020 C000003 0
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 1
022 A000001 PAINE WEBBER, INC.
022 B000001 13-2638166
022 C000001 18100
022 D000001 17183
022 A000002 MORGAN STANLEY
022 B000002 13-2655998
022 C000002 18251
022 D000002 10042
022 A000003 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000003 22-2347336
022 C000003 7780
022 D000003 11041
022 A000004 SMITH BARNEY, HARRIS, UPHAM & CO.
022 B000004 13-1912900
022 C000004 8002
022 D000004 4189
022 A000005 WILLIAM R HOUGH
022 C000005 967
022 D000005 4189
022 A000006 GREENWICH PARTNERS
022 B000006 13-316013
022 C000006 3591
022 D000006 5415
022 A000007 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
022 B000007 13-5674085
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 C000007 6425
022 D000007 3500
022 A000008 E.A. MOSS CO., INC.
022 C000008 2480
022 D000008 4318
022 A000009 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000009 13-2518466
022 C000009 2836
022 D000009 3425
022 A000010 DILON, READ & CO.
022 B000010 13-1939216
022 C000010 5156
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 91695
023 D000000 77808
024 000000 N
026 A000000 Y
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 Y
026 G020000 Y
026 H000000 N
027 000000 N
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.700
048 A010000 0
048 A020000 0.000
048 B010000 0
048 B020000 0.000
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048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 4
048 K020000 0.000
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 N
054 H000000 N
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 Y
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 Y
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 N
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 0
062 A000000 Y
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062 J000000 0.0
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062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 103.7
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 -3.7
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 10.3
064 A000000 Y
<PAGE> PAGE 5
064 B000000 Y
065 000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 Y
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 N
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 N
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 Y
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 84580
071 B000000 74840
071 C000000 189738
071 D000000 39
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 14939
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 6
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 1352
072 G000000 9
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072 I000000 136
072 J000000 51
072 K000000 38
072 L000000 49
072 M000000 11
072 N000000 1
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072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 20
072 S000000 10
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 8
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 49
072 X000000 1734
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 13205
072AA000000 0
072BB000000 1130
072CC010000 1575
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 13986
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 1911
073 A010000 1.0100
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.1400
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 170
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 0
074 D000000 202382
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 4215
074 M000000 17
074 N000000 206784
074 O000000 10146
074 P000000 368
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 7
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 1191
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 195079
074 U010000 13807
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 14.13
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 3186
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 192759
076 000000 13.37
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
077 C000000 N
077 D000000 N
077 E000000 N
077 F000000 N
077 G000000 N
077 H000000 N
077 I000000 N
077 J000000 N
077 K000000 N
077 L000000 N
077 M000000 N
077 N000000 N
077 O000000 N
077 P000000 N
077 Q010000 Y
077 Q020000 N
077 Q030000 N
078 000000 N
080 A000000 FEDERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 B000000 NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE CO
080 C000000 50000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 74
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
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<PAGE> PAGE 8
086 B020000 0
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
087 A010000 COMMON
087 A020000 746920107
087 A030000 PMH
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 N
SIGNATURE PAUL BUCUVALAS
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM Putnam Tax Free Health Care AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY
REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> MAY-31-1995
<PERIOD-END> MAY-31-1995
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 198,231,568
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 202,382,159
<RECEIVABLES> 4,232,328
<ASSETS-OTHER> 169,600
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 206,784,087
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 10,145,703
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 1,559,663
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 11,705,366
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 191,840,225
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 13,807,168
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 13,807,168
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 229,447
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> (1,141,542)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 4,150,591
<NET-ASSETS> 195,078,721
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 14,939,373
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 1,734,165
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 13,205,208
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (1,130,388)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 1,574,883
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 13,649,703
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (13,986,810)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> (1,910,060)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (2,247,167)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 1,007,645
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 1,910,064
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 1,352,078
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 1,734,165
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 192,758,953
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 14.29
<PER-SHARE-NII> .96
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .03
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (1.01)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> (.14)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 14.13
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .90
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING>
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE>
??
</TABLE>
