While making administrator "rounds" one afternoon in your facility, Ms$.$ Brown's son stops you in the hall and asks for your advice about whether to join a long$-$ term care insurance program by a mutual life insurance company his employer has just announced. Mr$.$ Brown and his wife are each $55,$ both working, and in good health. He says he understands that only about $3\%$ to $5\%$ of Americans have elected to take out long$-$term care insurance for one or both of them and wonders how to make his decision. Could you help?

Mr$.$ Brown seeks your recommendations on whether to join the plan and which option to select if you recommend joining the plan. He says his main concern is that he might not ever qualify to collect under the plan.