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An employee who suffered an injury and is receiving benefits under the Kansas Workers Compensation Act may undergo changes – injuries may worsen, for instance – or the employer or insurance carrier may suspect that the employee no longer needs the level of benefits they are receiving.

The Kansas Workers Compensation Act (KWCA) of 2011 made drastic changes to how employees can receive compensation for medical expenses and lost wages due to injuries and illnesses sustained at work. The KWCA established new filing hurdles and seemed to favor employers and their insurance providers against employees injured or ill because of workplace conditions or accidents.

The attorneys at Wichita-based Slape & Howard, staunch advocates for reform to the state’s workers compensation system, recently attended a hearing in Topeka to advocate for Senate Bill (SB) 164, which would expand benefits by eliminating current benefit caps for those permanently disabled.

In Fiscal Year 2021, the Kansas Department of Labor and its Workers Compensation Division report there were 44,506 new claims, which represented a decrease of 1,047 (or 2.4%) from the previous year.

If you are eligible for and receiving workers compensation benefits in Kansas and are also receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you may be subject to what is known as an “offset.”

The revised Kansas workers compensation system continues to put the squeeze on employees who are injured or get sick at work.

In fiscal year 2020, which ended on September 30, 2020, the Kansas Division of Workers Compensation received reports of 45,281 total occupational injuries and illnesses.

Fortunately, almost every business in Kansas will provide workers compensation benefits for employees who are injured or fall ill on the job. There are, however, certain restrictions and exclusions.

If you’re injured or fall ill at work in Kansas, your medical bills and any lost wages will be covered by the state’s workers compensation system, which is considered the “exclusive remedy” for workplace injuries and illnesses.

In Fiscal Year 2020, ending September 30, 2020, there were 45,281 total occupational injuries and illnesses reported to the Kansas Division of Workers Compensation.