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for Wealthy Seniors' Care   May 02, 2004|Evan Halper | Times
Staff Writer  For older Californians distressed by the thought
of nursing home bills devouring their savings, the words of a
Los Angeles attorney may seem astonishing: "We can qualify even
a millionaire for Medi-Cal benefits."  But as troubled as they
may be by such an offer, officials at California's healthcare
program for the poor admit it's possible.  At a tremendous cost
to taxpayers, aging Americans in California and across the
nation are transforming themselves, at least on paper, from
affluent seniors to needy individuals eligible for state health
benefits.  "It's a huge public health problem," said Thomas
Scully, who ran the country's $269-billion Medicaid system for
the Bush administration until December. Medi-Cal is California's
version of that program.  "There is an entire industry around
the country set up to coach people to transfer their assets to
their children, so the stat