One of the great selling points for convincing young people to join the military is the health care benefit packages that come with membership in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or the United States Coast Guard. The health care coverage options will include the service member and every member of the immediate family. While on active duty, the services will be provided by medical facilities on base, or at military hospitals that are located throughout the world.

The military provides health insurance at no cost to the service member throughout their enlistment in the armed forces. Health care coverage for dependents is very generous and dental coverage plans are available. Physicians who have joined the military provide the treatment needed by officer's and enlisted personnel. These physicians will become part of the medical staff that are stationed onboard Navy vessels, or at medical facilities that are strategically placed in foreign lands.

As part of the readiness programs designed by the military, service members are expected to return to duty after treatment has been provided. Some treatments will require the military member to be flown to a specialist in a foreign land. The military service member receives this special treatment at no cost and is allowed to recuperate for long periods before being expected to return to duty. The family will continue to be protected by health care insurance coverage while the member is deployed overseas.

All treatment at military facilities is documented in a military health record for every service member. A copy of the official health record is provided to every service member when they retire and can serve as official documentation for receiving health benefits through the Veterans Administration. The level of benefits will be based on the level of the disability rating assigned by the Veterans Administration, and if the service member is rated totally disabled, they are provided health care coverage for the rest of their life at no charge.

Every complaint for medical service should be documented in the military members health record. Even minor complaints of ear aches, sore throat, or injuries incurred while on active duty should be noted each time treatment is received. The frequency of the complaints will be considered when the Veterans Administration assigns medical disability ratings. The frequency of visits may be large due to the no cost health insurance coverage in place for all members of the military and each one can have great bearing on future medical benefits that are offered for military member discharged early for disabilities incurred while on active duty.

The health benefits packages for members of the military extend to over-the-counter medications that civilians must pay for with money out of their own pocket. All military service members can visit a military health clinic, fill out forms for cough medicines in liquid and pill form, and receive them at no cost. The service member is entitled to regular dental exams, which will include the issuance of dental hygiene tools and cleanings at no expense to the member.