What if you don't have health insurance but need medical care to save your life? If you're drowning in bills from the hospital, what can you do?

To find out, we spoke to Venus Lockett, a financial services professional who lives near Atlanta. After an ambulance ride, one night in the hospital and multiple tests, she faced over $30,000 in medical bills while she was in-between jobs, uninsured and living in Georgia, one of 12 states that still has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Find out what Venus did to get out from under those crushing bills and save her credit rating. Learn how to protect yourself with the Consumer Guide for Medical Bills and Debt, published by the nonprofit consumer protection organization Georgia Watch.