KANSAS CITY, Mo. – 'Tis the season for frequent visits to the emergency rooms – but should you go to an urgent care center instead?

Many families face that dilemma, especially through the holidays.

Physicians report the winter holidays are the busiest times for medical emergencies, but not all emergencies are the same.

If a situation is life threatening, it's best to call 911.

But Dr. Jennifer Johnson, who runs the Urgent Care Center at Children's Mercy Kansas City, says, if you or your child has a problem after hours that you'd likely take to your regular doctor, an urgent care center would be able to manage.

"Run-of-the-mill things, like fever and vomiting, and diarrhea and ear infection – and maybe they are worried that their child has flu, or a mild asthma attack,” she states. “Also mild injuries – things where perhaps you think it's a sprained ankle."

Johnson says a careful assessment of your feelings is critical when making a decision.

Some clear examples of needing an emergency room include severe burns, swallowed objects, unstoppable bleeding, head injuries and loss of consciousness.

Children's Mercy Kansas City has two emergency rooms and three urgent care facilities – in Kansas City and Overland Park, Kan.; and in Independence, Mo.

Johnson says it's also good to have a family emergency plan in place, for situations such as a broken arm that are definite contenders for emergency care.

"If you're kind of wondering, 'Do I call 911, or do I put him in my car to get him there fast?'” she relates. “If that's your line of thinking, you're better off going to the emergency room."

Johnson says an early understanding of both ER and urgent care options helps cut down on wait times, too.

Children's Mercy also has a Save My Spot online check-in program that allows patients to view current wait times.





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Tax time is here again. Between now and mid-April, Idahoans in need of assistance can find free help across the state through the AARP Foundation's Tax-Aide program.

There are 26 Tax-Aide 26 sites set up across the state. Tax-Aide State Coordinator for AARP Idaho Karen Cummings said the program is geared toward people with low to moderate incomes, and can help people of any age.

She said some of the folks that come to the program have struggled with their taxes in the past.

"A lot of the folks we see have tried to do the online services, like Turbo Tax, and a lot of them are not successful," said Cummings. "You have to be computer savvy - and then again, it usually costs something."

Cummings said the volunteer tax preparers can assist a wide variety of people, including those doing independent contracting or gig work, and they don't need to be AARP members.

You can find a list of the documents you'd need to bring to a Tax-Aide appointment on the AARP website.

The program is volunteer run and all Tax-Aide preparers are IRS certified to help people with their returns. Cummings said for the volunteers, it's satisfying work.

"It's very rewarding to give back to the community," said Cummings, "to help people out, to know that you can devote some time and resources, and you can help them out. They're very grateful."

She encouraged people to make appointments, because the time slots to meet with a Tax-Aide preparer fill up fast, and some sites are open by appointment only.

In 2022, 25,000 volunteers nationally assisted 1.2 million Americans with their income-tax returns, helping them receive more than a billion dollars in tax refunds.

A new report asks lawmakers and regulators to look at why some unsafe products aren't recalled sooner, and what can be done to get them off the market more quickly to keep people safe.

The report analyzed more than 3,600 complaints filed last year, and 292 recalls by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Some 22% involved injuries or death.

Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog with the Arizona Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, said it can sometimes take weeks or months for a recall to be issued. She said it's clear the CPSC has too many legal hoops to jump through before it can make product information public.

"The whole problem here is that the Consumer Product Safety Commission doesn't have the authority to do its job," said Murray, "to protect consumers. It is supposed to protect consumers. It doesn't have the authority to do it in the ways that you and I would think."

She added that 2022 saw the most recalls since 2016, which might be the result of increased enforcement or more consumer complaints.

The report calls for changes to the laws involving product recalls. Murray noted that most of the time, recall notices come from the manufacturers - but that can take time, and the message doesn't always reach the people who need to know.

Murray suggested that if a serious problem has been identified, the CPSC should be able to act rather than negotiate or wait for a company to make a move.

She said most ethical manufacturers are doing a better job of making sure their products are safe, but it's also up to buyers to do their homework before making that final purchase.

"So, people do put a lot of effort into researching, particularly big purchases," said Murray. "They should also check those kinds of products, or something they are considering buying, check with the Consumer Product Safety Commission."

The report has a full list of suggestions. Murray said be especially careful when purchasing items online or from international sellers, as these may not meet U.S. safety standards.

To file a complaint, she recommends 'saferproducts.gov.' And for recall information, visit 'CPSC.gov/recalls.'

Millions of Americans with student loans are anxious to hear if the Supreme Court will uphold President Joe Biden's plan to offer up to $20,000 in student debt relief.

Conservative groups are challenging the program, claiming it unfairly favors people who went to college, and arguing the president cannot offer debt relief without the consent of Congress.

In the meantime, financial experts have some tips on what to do while waiting for a ruling.

Jaylon Herbin, director of federal campaigns at the Center for Responsible Lending, said borrowers need to stay in constant contact with their loan servicer, which may have changed.

"During the beginning of 2022, federal student aid took on new contracts for servicers," Herbin pointed out. "It used to be Navient and Sallie Mae. So you should have been receiving those emails. Some of them may have come from Aid Advantage who took on the Navient contract. Mohela as well."

People can sign up to receive updates from the Department of Education to keep tabs on the status of the program. The administration is not taking any more applications until the case is resolved. The high court hears opening arguments on Feb. 28 and will rule by June.

During COVID, the administration paused payments on federal student loans. Herbin noted people who voluntarily made payments during the pause should know they are eligible to get the money back.

"If they just had extra money, and they wanted to get ahead of these payments, then they can receive a refund," Herbin explained. "They just have to write to their servicer and request that refund."

However, if the program is struck down, the entire loan, including the refund, will have to be repaid. In California more than 2.3 million borrowers applied or were deemed eligible for a refund and almost 1.5 million were approved before the program was frozen by the court.