Is the wife responsible for medical bills of her deceased spouse in California?

The answer is the same in California as other states. The assumption is that the wife inherits at least half, if not all, of the husband's assets. But the estate has to liquidate all assets before they can transfer them to the spouse. One way or another, the spouse ends up paying the debt. The spouse has some right in all real property owned by the husband. If the assets are not enough to cover the debt, the real property may have a lien placed against it to cover those debts.