Edward Chavez, co-chairman of the health enrollment team at One L.A., a community group that works through religious congregations, said that he and other advocates had encountered similar resistance to Medi-Cal among the mainly Latino and working-class clients he has in the northeast San Fernando Valley.
Little-known Medicaid provision allows states to seek repayment from enrollees

A little-known wrinkle in the decades-old Medicaid law may be prompting some Americans ages 55 to 64 to shy away from the health plan of last resort -- called Medi-Cal in California -- after learning there's a catch: Once they die, their estates may have to reimburse the government for the cost of their medical care.  There are significant waivers and exemptions to this law.

MEDICAID ESTATE RECOVERY PROGRAM 
From fiscal year 1993-94 to 2013-14, California's Medi-Cal Estate Recovery Program recouped $978.5 million. Of that, 50 percent was returned to the federal government. Over the same period, California's Medi-Cal budget was $621 billion. 
California is typically ranked at the top of the list of states in Medicaid estate recovery.
The average estate claim amount in California is $95,000. The average recovery amount is $15,000. This amounts to a paltry amount of less than .000000005 % of the Medi-Cal budget.




Source: California Department of Health Care Services