---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to telehealth. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to require the cabinet to regulate telehealth; set requirements for the delivery of telehealth services to Medicaid recipients; require equivalent reimbursement for telehealth services; require provision of coverage and reimbursement for telehealth; prohibit the cabinet from requiring providers to be physically present with a recipient; prohibit prior authorization, medical review, or administrative clearance if not required for the in-person service; prohibit demonstration of necessity; prohibit requiring providers to be part of a telehealth network; specify that Medicaid shall not be required to provide coverage for services that are not medically necessary or pay for transmission costs; amend KRS 205.510 to define terms; amend KRS 205.559 to add telehealth; amend 304.17A-005 to redefine \"telehealth\"; amend KRS 304.17A-138 to require health benefit plan coverage of telehealth to the same extent as though provided in person; prohibit health benefit plans from requiring providers to be physically present with a patient; prohibit prior authorization, medical review, or administrative clearance if not required for the in-person service; prohibit demonstration of necessity; prohibit requiring providers to be part of the telehealth network or subject to Telehealth Board oversight; specify that health benefit plans shall not be required to provide coverage for services that are not medically necessary or pay for transmission costs; amend KRS 342.315 to conform; amend KRS 18A.225 to require any fully insured health benefit plans or self-insured plans issued or renewed after July 1, 2019, to public employees to comply with KRS 304.17A-138; repeal KRS 194A.125; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2019."
description: "AN ACT relating to telehealth. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to require the cabinet to regulate telehealth; set requirements for the delivery of telehealth services to Medicaid recipients; require equivalent reimbursement for telehealth services; require provision of coverage and reimbursement for telehealth; prohibit the cabinet from requiring providers to be physically present with a recipient; prohibit prior authorization, medical review, or administrative clearance if not required for the in-person service; prohibit demonstration of necessity; prohibit requiring providers to be part of a telehealth network; specify that Medicaid shall not be required to provide coverage for services that are not medically necessary or pay for transmission costs; amend KRS 205.510 to define terms; amend KRS 205.559 to add telehealth; amend 304.17A-005 to redefine \"telehealth\"; amend KRS 304.17A-138 to require health benefit plan coverage of telehealth to the same extent as though provided in person; prohibit health benefit plans from requiring providers to be physically present with a patient; prohibit prior authorization, medical review, or administrative clearance if not required for the in-person service; prohibit demonstration of necessity; prohibit requiring providers to be part of the telehealth network or subject to Telehealth Board oversight; specify that health benefit plans shall not be required to provide coverage for services that are not medically necessary or pay for transmission costs; amend KRS 342.315 to conform; amend KRS 18A.225 to require any fully insured health benefit plans or self-insured plans issued or renewed after July 1, 2019, to public employees to comply with KRS 304.17A-138; repeal KRS 194A.125; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2019."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2018RS"
identifier: "SB 112"
citation: "Kentucky SB 112 (2018RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["C. Embry Jr.", "M. Wilson", "R. Alvarado"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 29
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2018-01-26"
last_action: "2018-04-26"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a8ccca43-1767-470b-bf53-1eebf1b1797f"
source_url: "http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/18RS/SB112.htm"
source_hash: "17dc7775fe4dde878cca501f2a9c54fe423907dfe04aa9a85a03e062167e5999"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ky"]
---

# Kentucky SB 112 (2018RS) — AN ACT relating to telehealth. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to require the cabinet to regulate telehealth; set requirements for the delivery of telehealth services to Medicaid recipients; require equivalent reimbursement for telehealth services; require provision of coverage and reimbursement for telehealth; prohibit the cabinet from requiring providers to be physically present with a recipient; prohibit prior authorization, medical review, or administrative clearance if not required for the in-person service; prohibit demonstration of necessity; prohibit requiring providers to be part of a telehealth network; specify that Medicaid shall not be required to provide coverage for services that are not medically necessary or pay for transmission costs; amend KRS 205.510 to define terms; amend KRS 205.559 to add telehealth; amend 304.17A-005 to redefine "telehealth"; amend KRS 304.17A-138 to require health benefit plan coverage of telehealth to the same extent as though provided in person; prohibit health benefit plans from requiring providers to be physically present with a patient; prohibit prior authorization, medical review, or administrative clearance if not required for the in-person service; prohibit demonstration of necessity; prohibit requiring providers to be part of the telehealth network or subject to Telehealth Board oversight; specify that health benefit plans shall not be required to provide coverage for services that are not medically necessary or pay for transmission costs; amend KRS 342.315 to conform; amend KRS 18A.225 to require any fully insured health benefit plans or self-insured plans issued or renewed after July 1, 2019, to public employees to comply with KRS 304.17A-138; repeal KRS 194A.125; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2019.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **HFA1** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/SB112/HFA1.pdf)
2. **HFA2** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/SB112/HFA2.pdf)
3. **Most Recent Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/SB112/bill.pdf)
4. **SB 112 (As Introduced)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/SB112/orig_bill.pdf)
5. **SCS1** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/SB112/SCS1.pdf)
6. **SFA1** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/SB112/SFA1.pdf)
7. **SFA2** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/SB112/SFA2.pdf)
8. **SFA3** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/SB112/SFA3.pdf)

## Sponsors

- C. Embry Jr. — primary (person)
- M. Wilson — primary (person)
- R. Alvarado — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-01-26** Introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2018-01-29** To Health & Welfare (S) `referral-committee`
- **2018-02-14** Reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) `reading-1`
- **2018-02-15** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2018-02-15** Floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute `amendment-introduction`
- **2018-02-20** Floor amendment (2) filed to Committee Substitute `amendment-introduction`
- **2018-02-21** Floor amendment (3) filed to Committee Substitute `amendment-introduction`
- **2018-02-23** Posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, February 27, 2018
- **2018-02-26** Taken from the Orders of the Day for Tuesday, February 27
- **2018-02-26** Placed in the Orders of the Day for Monday, February 26
- **2018-02-26** 3rd reading `reading-3`
- **2018-02-26** Floor amendment (1) withdrawn
- **2018-02-26** Passed 36-0 with Committee Substitute (1) & floor amendments (2) and (3)
- **2018-02-27** Received in House
- **2018-03-01** To Health and Family Services (H) `referral-committee`
- **2018-03-13** Posted in committee
- **2018-03-20** Taken from Health and Family Services (H)
- **2018-03-20** 1st reading `reading-1`
- **2018-03-20** Returned to Health and Family Services (H)
- **2018-03-21** Reported favorably, 2nd reading, to Rules as a Consent Bill `reading-2`
- **2018-03-21** Floor amendments (1) and (2) filed `amendment-introduction`
- **2018-03-22** Taken from Rules
- **2018-03-22** Placed in the Regular Orders of the Day
- **2018-04-14** 3rd reading, passed 65-20 `reading-3, passage`
- **2018-04-14** Received in Senate
- **2018-04-14** Enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
- **2018-04-14** Enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
- **2018-04-14** Delivered to Governor
- **2018-04-26** Signed by Governor (Acts, ch. 187) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a8ccca43-1767-470b-bf53-1eebf1b1797f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).