How Do OWCP Clinics Operate in Shawnee?

Clinic front desk where a federal employee checks in for an OWCP visit

By Dr. Matt Gianforte, DC · Federal Injury Centers of Kansas City · Updated October 2026

If you are a federal employee hurt on the job, you may hear people talk about an “OWCP clinic.” What does that actually mean, and what happens when you walk in the door?

This article explains how an OWCP-enrolled clinic works, using our own clinic in Shawnee as the example. It covers the first visit, the forms, how billing works, and what a chiropractor can and can’t do under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA).

What “OWCP clinic” really means

Here’s what I need you to know first. Under FECA, you have the right to choose your first treating physician (20 CFR 10.300(d)). OWCP does not assign you to a clinic.

An “OWCP clinic” is simply a provider that is enrolled with OWCP and set up to handle the forms and reports a federal claim needs. The Department of Labor says medical providers must be enrolled with OWCP to be paid for treating injured federal employees.

So enrollment is about billing. Experience with the forms is about how smoothly the medical side of your claim goes.

Before the first visit

When you call, the front desk will usually ask a few questions:

  • When and how did the injury happen?
  • Did you file a CA-1 (traumatic injury) or CA-2 (occupational disease)?
  • Do you have an OWCP claim number yet?
  • Did your employer issue a Form CA-16?

About the CA-16: it is issued by your employer, not the clinic and not you. For a traumatic injury, the employer should issue it within four hours, naming the physician or facility.

It authorizes examination and treatment for up to 60 days from the date of injury (20 CFR 10.300). If your employer gave you one, bring it.

Also bring:

  • A copy of your CA-1 or CA-2
  • Any CA-17 duty status form your supervisor gave you
  • Your job description, or a short list of your physical job duties
  • Any records or imaging from earlier visits for this injury
  • A short written timeline of what happened

The first visit

The first visit is longer than a typical appointment, because the history matters so much in a federal claim.

You see, OWCP decides claims on the medical evidence. So the doctor needs to understand exactly what you were doing at work, how the symptoms started, and how they have changed since.

A typical first visit includes:

  • A detailed history of the injury and your job duties
  • A physical exam
  • Imaging when it is medically needed, such as x-rays
  • A diagnosis and a treatment plan
  • Work restrictions, if you need them

If your condition needs care outside the clinic’s scope, a good clinic will tell you so at this visit.

The documentation

This is the part that sets an experienced OWCP provider apart. The main pieces are:

CA-17 duty status report

The CA-17 tells your employer what you can and can’t do at work: lifting limits, standing and walking time, hours, and so on. Under 20 CFR 10.506, the employer may use it to monitor your duty status. We complete it when your employer or OWCP asks for it, and update it when your restrictions change.

CA-20 attending physician’s report

The CA-20 gives OWCP the diagnosis, history, findings and the physician’s opinion on whether the condition is related to work.

Causal-relationship narrative

OWCP needs a reasoned medical opinion that explains how your work caused or aggravated your condition. A narrative report connects your specific job duties to the findings, in plain medical reasoning. It matters most in occupational disease claims, where the injury built up over time.

Responses to OWCP letters

If OWCP sends a letter asking for more medical information, the treating physician may need to answer specific questions. Bring those letters to us right away so the response can go in before the deadline.

How billing works

Once your case is accepted, an enrolled provider bills OWCP directly for covered care related to the accepted condition. Bills go through OWCP’s medical bill processing portal and are paid under OWCP’s fee schedule.

Some services need authorization from OWCP before they are done. When that applies, the clinic requests it through the same portal.

If your claim hasn’t been accepted yet, ask the front desk how billing will be handled in the meantime. If your employer issued a CA-16, that form covers authorized care for up to 60 days.

The chiropractic limit

I’m a chiropractor, and I want you to hear this from me plainly.

Under 5 U.S.C. 8101 and 20 CFR 10.311, chiropractic care that OWCP will pay for is limited to manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation shown by x-ray. The report must state that x-rays support the subluxation.

A chiropractor may also provide physical-therapy-type services, but only under the direction of, and as prescribed by, a qualified physician.

That means if your injury is a shoulder, knee, wrist or foot problem, a chiropractor isn’t the right treating physician under FECA. You’ll want a medical doctor, osteopathic doctor or other physician whose license covers that care. We’ll tell you when that’s the case.

Other people you may meet

  • A field nurse. In some lost-time cases, OWCP assigns a contract nurse who may attend appointments to help with return-to-work planning. Our post on OWCP nurse case managers explains the role.
  • A second opinion doctor. OWCP may schedule an exam with a physician it chooses (20 CFR 10.320). You must attend, and OWCP pays for it.
  • A specialist. If your treating doctor refers you to a specialist, you don’t need OWCP’s approval for that referral (20 CFR 10.316).

What a clinic doesn’t do

  • It doesn’t decide your claim. OWCP does.
  • It doesn’t issue the CA-16. Your employer does.
  • It doesn’t give legal advice or represent you. For legal questions, contact OWCP or a representative.

For the bigger picture on picking a provider, see our guide to choosing an OWCP doctor.

How we can help

Federal Injury Centers of Kansas City is at 19701 W 65th Terrace in Shawnee, Kansas. We are open Monday and Wednesday 9am to 6pm, and Tuesday and Thursday 8am to 5pm.

Led by Dr. Matt Gianforte, DC, we provide medical care for injured federal employees and the documentation OWCP needs: CA-17 duty status reports, CA-20 attending physician’s reports, and causal-relationship narratives.

Our chiropractic care under FECA is limited to spinal manipulation to correct a subluxation shown by x-ray. We are not a law firm.

Learn more on our Shawnee page. Request a consultation or call (913) 355-6648.

Sources

This article is general information, not legal or medical advice. For decisions about your claim, contact OWCP or your representative.

About Dr. Matt Gianforte, DC

Dr. Matt Gianforte is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic and the founder of Federal Injury Centers of Kansas City in Shawnee, Kansas. His team treats injured federal employees under FECA and provides the medical documentation OWCP requires.