Final answer:
To get a Medicare Part D plan, clients must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or Part B. Part A covers hospital services, while Part B is for additional healthcare costs and is optional. Part D was established to provide prescription drug coverage.
Step-by-step explanation:
To enroll in a Part D plan, which provides prescription drug coverage, a client must first be enrolled in either Medicare Part A, which covers hospital services, or both Part A and Part B. Part B is optional and covers additional health care expenses outside of hospital stays, such as physician services, medical tests, and outpatient visits. Enrollment in Part A is typically automatic for those who are eligible for Social Security benefits, while Part B enrollment requires the payment of a monthly premium.
Medicare was created to help with medical costs for individuals 65 years or older, as well as some younger individuals with disabilities or specific conditions. To address the gap in prescription drug coverage, the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003 introduced Part D, which is funded through a combination of beneficiary premiums and general revenues.