(1) "Access to health care" means the financial, temporal, and geographic availability of health care to individuals who need it.

(2) "Consolidation" means a transaction whereby two or more health care facilities or physician entities combine so as to form a new entity and the previous entities are dissolved.

(3) "Costs" or "health care costs" means the amount paid by consumers or third party payers for health care services or products.

(4) "Department" means the department of justice.

(5) "Merger" means a transaction by which ownership or control over substantially all of the stock, assets or activities of one or more health care facilities or physician entities is placed under the control of another facility or entity.

(6) "Health care facility," "certificate of public advantage," "cooperative agreement," and "agreement" have the meanings specified in 50-4-604, MCA.

(7) "Person" means an individual or entity.

(8) "Physician" means a person licensed under Title 37, chapter 3, MCA, to practice medicine in the state of Montana.