To spend down before entering nursing home, I want to buy a used car for my father BUT can't get insurance on the car. I have POA.

There is no Catch 22. You have a man about to be a skilled nursing care custodial resident who cannot drive & has no license. No need for a car.

I think the rationale for LTC Medicaid allowing an elder on this program to own their home and their car as an exempt asset for their lifetime is that it is a CONTINUATION OF AN EXISTING OWNERSHIP OF AN ASSET(S) as they maintain a “right of return”. They could - in theory - exit the NH and go back to their home should circumstances change (like their son & his wf is able to move in to caregiver for them); and so they are allowed to keep their old home and their old car for that very distant but still possible possibility.

Would so love an update as to what the caseworker said about this.

If Dad has no licence why do you want to buy him a car? So you can drive it? If Dad needs Medicaid for his care in a facility in the near future, the car will just become an albatross. You may be able to buy it, but it has to be Market Value. If u sell it, thats money u have to spend down. He won't be able to afford insurance on it. You won't be able to drive it. Can't change the title over to you, Medicaid has a 5 yr look back. Find another way to spend down his money. You can always place him in a facility paying privately that excepts medicaid. Then when his money starts to run out, you apply for Mrdicaid. Easiest way to get them into care.

My dad's car lists both of us on the Title. He doesn't drive. I had no trouble in getting insurance but with our insurance company, anyone not living in our home, the 24 hr caregiver, can not use the car on a regular basis for more than 14 days can not be insured.
When our caregiver left she took a car she was using and refused to return it. I had to file a police report as she became an unauthorized user to protect our home in case of an accident . Also, in AL, there is a law that the house is not considered an asset IF my dad left me the house as I am an adult child with 100% disability. The house is excluded as an asset as I live here and I can't be thrown out. My dad, before his dimensia, added my name to the deed, unbeknownst to me, and I found that the house won't even have to go through probate, if that's possible for you... maybe a bunch of jibberish, but , hope it helps...

I know of a blind person that owned a car and had it titled in their name and had insurance. They obviously could not drive but had a driver.
I think the "catch" might be can your father legally sign a purchase contract and or can they sign the title?
If this is the one thing can another purchase be made? Pre pay funeral? New hearing aids? Glasses? Up grade a walker or wheelchair? Purchase a large quantity of supplies that will be needed like Incontinence underwear, wipes, ointments? A Lift Chair that he may need as his mobility becomes less and it will be easier just to get in and out of the chair. A TV for his room, a laptop so he can play games. A device like Alexa or Echo. these can be used to monitor him, remind him of a schedule or appointment, used as an alarm clock, turn on or off lights. And if you have one you can "Drop in" on him to monitor him yourself. (scary that that can be done)

Interesting question.
Why exactly, does the Gov require the car to be in father's name only?

I don't have the answer, but am exploring this topic.
Not the spend down part, but the insurance part. (Could you become a co-owner of the vehicle?)

I found this:
Health reasons prevent you from driving
If you have a health condition that prevents you from driving, you may still want to consider maintaining auto insurance. If you put your car in storage for a while and your license expires while you recover, keeping a policy in place may protect your financial investment in your vehicle in case anything happens to your car while in storage.
You may also want to keep an auto insurance policy in place if you think you may drive again in the future to avoid a lapse in coverage, which could result in a higher rate when you seek coverage again.
You don’t drive your car, but others still do
Even if you are not the main driver for your car, you likely still need auto insurance to cover your vehicle. You may be able to do this by listing another person as the primary driver of the vehicle and maintaining yourself as an excluded driver on the policy.

Big Red flags on this idea.

when my folks moved in with us they wanted to keep their car to take them places,, but Mom no longer drove and Dad was not able to, so like you say we were unable to get insurance on it. I had to buy it at market value to get in my name and insurance. Otherwise I would have been driving them around in my SUV. If you need another car to drive them, maybe look at used one for yourself for that purpose?

Buy a car why? For someone who can't drive and has no license, seems fishy to me and I am not a Medicaid expert, but will assume they will question it as well.

Sorry but I think that you will have to buy your own car, with your own money.

Yes, this cannot be done. Now that you know car is not a possibility, what are chances that your loved one may need a motorized scooter in future? Have prepaid funeral expenses been done? Is all attorney work done for good paperwork for POA and etc. All of these can be used to spend down INCLUDING a visit to an Elder Law Attorney to find out other options.

I have to agree with SP. If Dad has no valid licence and has not been driving Medicaid may wonder why a car was bought in spend down period. If he already had one, that's a different story. You can also spend down by using his money for private pay. Will get him a bed faster.

I started Moms application in April. She had 20k. She entered LTC May 1st and the 20k paid May and June. June I confirmed with the caseworker that he had all info needed and Mom was now spent down. Her Medicaid started July 1st.

Sounds to me like the used car is for you. Nice try but that's not going to work for the spend down. Get dad a really nice and comfortable recliner as expensive as he can afford and go from there. Prepay for funeral expenses, things like this, but the car would be a no. I get it though it seems like such a waste to have to spend money on dad just to get rid of it but you can't gift it to anyone who may need it. But that's the government for you.

Why are you buying your father a car if he can't drive?

Is this a car for you to drive your dad to appointments and such in,?

Is there some way to title the car so that you can pay for the insurance?

Is your father going to drive the car even though he doesn’t have a valid driver’s license? Why doesn’t he have a valid driver’s license?