In Kansas, the employer selects the doctor. If you see a physician you picked yourself without approval, only up to $800 of that care is covered. Because of this rule, the approved doctor's opinion often decides whether your checks keep coming.
Kansas also puts a ceiling on the whole claim, not only on each check. Benefits for temporary disability or permanent partial disability stop at $225,000 in total. Permanent partial disability means a lasting injury that still lets you do some work.
What Kansas pays each week
Once the waiting period ends, you receive two-thirds of your average weekly wage, meaning your typical pay before the injury. For injuries between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027, the Division lists a weekly maximum of $905 and a minimum of $50.
The first week you miss is not paid at the start. If your disability runs three weeks in a row, the insurer pays that first week back.
For a quick figure based on your own pay, try our weekly benefit estimator.
| Weekly check | two-thirds (66 2/3%) of your average weekly wage |
|---|---|
| Weekly cap, injuries from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 | $905 |
| Weekly minimum, injuries from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 | $50 |
| Waiting period | first week unpaid; paid back if the disability lasts three weeks in a row |
Three Kansas dates to put on your calendar
- Report the injury to your employer within 30 calendar days of the accident. If you no longer work there, the limit is 20 days after your last day, whichever date is earlier.
- File an application for hearing with the Division within three years of the accident or within two years of the last payment of compensation, whichever is later.
- Ask the Workers Compensation Appeals Board to review a judge's order within 10 days. Weekends and holidays do not count toward the 10.
That last window is very short. When an order shows up in your mail, open it the same day.
When the Kansas insurer says no
A denial letter or a check that simply stops, is a decision by the insurance company. It is not a ruling. The application for hearing is how you ask an administrative law judge, a state judge who hears these cases, to look at the facts.
Many Kansas disputes begin at the authorized doctor's office. If that doctor releases you to work or writes that the injury is not from your job, payments can end. Before paying for outside treatment, keep the $800 limit in mind.
If your checks have already stopped, read our guide to payments that stopped. Unsure what the adjuster's letter says? Paste it into our letter explainer.
What a Kansas workers comp lawyer may charge
Kansas law limits the fee to 25% of the compensation recovered or a reasonable amount, whichever is less, plus expenses. The director of workers compensation must approve the fee contract. Since the fee is a share of benefits actually recovered, ask the attorney to walk you through how it would apply to your case.
The Division of Workers Compensation sits inside the Kansas Department of Labor. Its phone number is 785-296-4000.
People also ask
Can I see my own doctor in Kansas?
You can, but if your employer did not approve that doctor, only up to $800 of the treatment is covered.
Will I get paid for the first week I missed?
Not right away. That week is paid back once your disability lasts three consecutive weeks.