In Kansas, your employer or insurer generally arranges the treating provider for a work injury. You can request a provider change, and current law allows a limited amount of care from a provider you choose without prior approval. Those are different routes: neither makes every visit to your personal doctor automatically covered.
The rules below explain authorized treatment, requests to change doctors and the unauthorized-care allowance. For help with a particular dispute, see our Wichita workers’ compensation services.
How the Doctor Selection Process Works in Kansas
The employer must provide reasonably necessary care for a covered work injury under K.S.A. 44-510h. Ordinarily, the employer or insurer arranges that treatment. Ask the adjuster which provider and services are authorized, and keep the response with your claim records.
What If You Don't Like the Doctor They Pick?
If you are concerned about the treatment plan, describe the specific problem and keep appointment records. Concerns may include:
- Symptoms or restrictions that have not been addressed
- A disagreement about a referral or recommended treatment
- Difficulty obtaining appointments or communicating with the provider
A disagreement does not automatically authorize a replacement physician. Keep the distinction between requesting a change and independently obtaining care in mind.
How to Request a Different Doctor in Kansas
Start by asking the employer or adjuster for a change and documenting the reason. If that does not resolve the issue, the statutory route may be available:
- Apply to the Director of Workers Compensation for a provider change when the existing services are not satisfactory.
- If a change is authorized, the employer generally submits two providers for the worker to choose between.
- If both proposed providers are unsatisfactory, the Director may select another provider.
The standard in K.S.A. 44-510h(b)(1) concerns unsatisfactory services; the worker does not have to prove that a doctor acted in bad faith just to invoke this process. It does not guarantee approval of a particular personal physician.
An attorney can help assemble the medical records and explain the requested change. Our workers’ compensation practice page lists what to bring to a consultation.
Can You Ever Choose Your Own Doctor Right Away?
If necessary care is not being provided or an emergency arises, obtain needed medical attention and promptly document what happened. Reimbursement and authorization can depend on the circumstances. Do not assume that an emergency or an unanswered request makes every later visit automatically authorized.
What Happens If You See an Unauthorized Doctor?
Under the current rule in K.S.A. 44-510h(b)(2), the employer is liable for up to $800 total for examination, diagnosis or treatment from a provider the worker chooses without prior application or approval. This is a limited allowance, not an unlimited right to switch treating doctors.
The allowance cannot be used to obtain a functional impairment rating. Charges above the allowance may be your responsibility unless another authorization or legal basis applies. Older injury dates can involve different limits; the official historical benefit table provides the prior allowances.
Tell the adjuster before obtaining unauthorized care and ask for written clarification of payment. A visit to your own doctor does not, by itself, establish that your entire claim is lost. Get advice about the particular authorization or payment dispute.
Why Choosing the Right Doctor Matters
Your treating physician plays a central role in your workers’ compensation case. They will:
- Document your injury and symptoms
- Prescribe treatment and determine work restrictions
- Evaluate your progress over time
- Assign a permanent impairment rating (if applicable)
- Provide the medical opinion used to determine your benefits
Medical reports can affect work restrictions, treatment and disability benefits. If you disagree with a report, explain the specific symptoms or findings at issue and preserve supporting records. For the financial side, read how Kansas workers’ compensation benefits are calculated.
How an Attorney Can Help You Get the Care You Deserve
Riedmiller, Andersen & Scott, LLC helps injured workers address disputes about treatment and benefits. Depending on the issue, an attorney can:
- Review the treatment authorization and medical records
- Explain the provider-change process
- Help present a disputed-care request to the Workers Compensation Division
- Evaluate how medical restrictions affect weekly benefits
If a treatment dispute is also delaying a check, read the Kansas benefit timing rules and keep a record of the missed payments and your communications with the adjuster.
To discuss your work injury, call Roger Riedmiller at (316) 648-1369 for a free consultation. Bring the provider’s name, treatment recommendations and any authorization or denial letters.
