Which is a windfall for tax-avoidance lawyers, who will show you how to get taken care of on the public dime after transferring your assets out of reach of the government.
Not really. There is no real way of avoiding estate taxes short of giving it all away and even then you have to do it gradually else they'll tax it.
The transfer of ownership has to occur at least five years before you sign up for Medicaid and sometimes 10 years, depending on the state. So, people will be signing up for Medicaid who are completely unaware of this. I know in one state where an attorney was PROHIBITED by the state from advising people on how to avoid a Medicaid liability.