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(like vision, hearing, dental and/or health and wellness programs), according to Medicare.gov.

Do you need travel insurance?

You may have Medicare (and hopefully a supplement plan), but there’s still more to consider before your next international trip.

Medicare’s hospital insurance (Part A and Part B) will not cover your healthcare services or supplies outside of the U.S. (although there are a few rare exceptions) according to Medicare.gov.

Many supplemental insurance companies will wait to see what Medicare covers before paying their portion. When making travel plans, Medicare suggests the following:

■ Check your Medigap policy to see if it includes coverage when traveling outside the U.S.

■ Review other Medicare health plans (such as a Medicare Advantage coverage) and learn how they handle medical bills if you’re outside of the U.S.

■ Purchase a travel insurance policy that includes health coverage if you have limited or no overseas coverage.

■ Remember: if you’re looking for Medicare coverage, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa are part of the U.S.

So, is Medicare good or bad?

All in all, Medicare is still pretty great, says Danielle Kunkle, in an online article for “Boomer Benefits.”

“While no program is perfect, we see people who are spending over a thousand dollars a month on [their] COBRA benefits,” states Kunkle. For them, Medicare is a welcome plan.

COBRA, (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their employer’s group health plan if they’re not Medicare eligible. (The plans are for limited periods of time under certain circumstances and known to be expensive.)

For today’s seniors, Medicare delivers a guaranteed level of insurance to people who might not otherwise be able to afford it, says AARP. Before Medicare, about half the older population had no coverage at all, according to the organization.

Seniors may still pay thousands of dollars a year for healthcare, but access is vastly better than before Medicare.

Where to Learn More

The annually revised booklet “Medicare & You” makes coverage for Part A and B groups as clear as possible. Even if Medicare does cover a service or item, a deductible, coinsurance and copay may still be yours.

Medicare.gov offers a list of the main services not covered:

■ Long-term care (also called custodial care)

■ Most dental care

■ Eye exams related to prescribing glasses

■ Dentures

■ Cosmetic surgery

■ Acupuncture

■ Hearing aids and exams for fitting them

■ Routine foot care