Legal Question in Elder Law in California

Re: Medicare lein on home (Medicaid/Medi-Cal)

I believe you are talking about Medicaid (called Medi-Cal in California). It's a need-based government health benefits program.

The government usually does not use liens in the newer California cases. Instead, they have a claim against the recipient's estate assets (after the recipient's death). There are some exceptions, however, so a visit to an attorney experienced in Medi-Cal law would probably be worth your while to see whether any planning might save some of the assets.

If no planning is done, the government does have a right to be reimbursed out of the recipient's estate, and they do assert this right.