NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A deal for major hospital operator HCA fell apart in final negotiations, as parties were unable to agree upon a price for the deal, according to a news report Wednesday.

The leveraged buyout deal that HCA was discussing with a group of private equity firms would have been one of the largest in history, said the Wall Street Journal.

The company's high level of debt - currently $11 billion - caused the bidders to offer less than what the hospital company was seeking in the deal, the report said.

The Journal reported that one person familiar with the deal said there was a 10 percent price difference between HCA and the private equity groups.

Shares of HCA (up $0.71 to $44.00, Charts) rose 1.6 percent on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday.

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