medicaid asset recovery

[Danzig]

http://news.msn.com/us/seizure-of-as...-in-california

One of the Medi-Cal recipients is Campbell resident Anne-Louise Vernon, 59. She contends that California's aggressive cost-recovery program is unjust because people whose higher income levels allow them to get subsidized private health insurance through the new Obamacare health care exchanges don't have to pay back anything.

that's an excellent point! however, not sure i agree that this is an issue:

Still, Vernon and Richmond resident Chris Darling, 62, who also enrolled in the expanded Medi-Cal program, worry that their future medical costs will eat up their estates.

now, on the latter point.....
i am not a fan of people hiding all their various assets in trusts, etc, so as to insure leaving a bunch of property to their descendants while they go on medicaid so the govt (us) has to pay to take care of them in a nursing home while they live out the remainder of their life. if you have means, shouldn't you take care of yourself?
what am i missing in regards to protecting estates, and why i should be concerned if the darlings kids inherit something?