Roxas City (7 December) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called on the various sectors in the country to extend their full support and cooperation to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to stimulate public awareness on issues involving Social Health Insurance and its impact on society.

The President has also issued Proclamation 1400 declaring the month of Februcuary as Philhealth month to further heighten the public awareness campaign.

"PhilHealth can now best campaign its mandate of universal coverage by establishing and sustaining strong partnership with stakeholders, health care providers and professionals, as well as with private companies and individuals," said part of a Philhealth online news.

The various sectors encouraged to extend full support to Philhealth include all government agencies, local government units, government owned and controlled corporations, government financing institutions as well as the media and the entire citizenry.

PhilHealth is the GOCC spearheading the implementation of the National Health Insurance Program. It has five pillar programs catering to the Employed Sector, Informal Sector, Overseas Workers, Lifetime Members and Sponsored Members. PhilHealth members are given unified quality health care benefits such as subsidies for room and board, fees, allowances for drugs and medicines, professional fees and laboratory exams. Special Packages may also be availed of such as Maternity Care, Newborn Care, SARS and TB-DOTS Packages.