2.__Covered entity.__"Covered entity" means a hospital or health care provider.

3.__Health care provider. "Health care provider" means a physician licensed under Title 32, chapter 36 or 48 and operating in this State and a corporation or business entity engaged primarily in the provision of physician health care services.

4.__Hospital. "Hospital" means:

A. An acute care institution licensed and operating in this State as a hospital under section 1811 or the parent of such an institution; or

B. A hospital subsidiary or hospital affiliate in the State that provides medical services or medically related diagnostic and laboratory services or engages in ancillary activities supporting those services.

5.__Merger. "Merger" means a transaction by which ownership or control over substantially all of the stock, assets or activities of one or more covered entities is placed under the control of another covered entity.__A merger between one or more hospitals and one or more health care providers is not a merger for the purposes of this chapter.

§1844.__Certificate of public advantage

1.__Authority.__A covered entity may negotiate and enter into a cooperative agreement with another covered entity and may file an application for a certificate of public advantage pursuant to this section.__The approval of an application for a certificate of public advantage is governed by the standards of subsection 5.

2.__Application for certificate.__The application process for a certificate of public advantage is as follows.

A.__At least 45 days prior to filing an application for a certificate of public advantage for a merger, the parties to a merger agreement shall file a letter of intent with the department describing the proposed merger.__Copies of the letter of intent and all accompanying materials must be submitted to the Attorney General and to the Governor's Office of Health Policy and Finance at the time the letter of intent is filed with the department.