This FAQ is designed to assist you with your health policy renewal for the 2025 coverage period, applicable to team members in Ireland covered by Irish Life. Whether you plan to enroll, renew, modify, or opt out of your existing plan, this guide will help you navigate the process with ease.
How can I view my benefits for the January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025 coverage period (if any)?
You can view your 2025 benefits in the Benefits section of your Remote profile.
Steps to view your coverage details:
- Sign in to your Remote profile.
- Navigate to the Benefits tab.
- In the Remote Hub area, click the link to the benefits guide, which contains comprehensive information about your benefits for the upcoming policy year.
Health Enrolment Window below:
Your Irish Life policy will renew on January 1, 2025, with the open enrollment window running from January 1 to January 30, 2025. During this period, you can:
- Add or remove dependents.
- Opt-in of the health benefits through the Irish Life microsite.
- If you are enrolled and you want to opt out, you have until Jan 14th to do so.
Dental Enrolment Window below:
- Enroll Before or On the 15th: If you complete the self-enrollment process on or before the 15th of the month, your coverage will start from the 1st of that same month.
- Enroll After the 15th: If you enroll after the 15th of the month, your coverage will begin on the 1st of the following month.
Remember, the timing of your enrollment affects the start date of your coverage, so it's important to enroll as early as possible within the month.
If I’ve been granted health or dental coverage, will I be automatically enrolled?
No, you must opt-in if you wish to enroll in the health or dental plans. You can find the enrollment links by signing in to your Remote profile and navigating to the Benefits tab. The links will be available starting in late December. Please, be mindful that if you have been granted with Health and extended Dental coverage, you will need to enroll via 2 links. (One for Health and another for Dental Coverage)
Do I need to enroll again if I was already enrolled in Irish Life last year?
No, if you were enrolled in Irish Life last year, you will automatically be transitioned to the new plan selected by your company, starting from January 1, 2025.
Can I opt out from Health and or Dental coverage?
When you sign up you have 14 days to opt out or make changes to your policy. After that, you are locked up until the next renewal happening in January each year.
For the annual renewal, employees would have until Jan 14th to communicate to the broker the opt out request.
For opting out, please send an email with the request to the broker at: tommy.mcgowan@ihigroup.ie.
What is changing in the health plans for 2025?
Due to inflation and regulatory factors, premiums for the 2024 Horizon 2 health plan were set to increase by 10.77% in 2025. To mitigate this increase, we are introducing two new plans:
- Health Guide 2: Offers similar coverage to Horizon 2 with a reduced premium increase of 4.99%.
- Health Guide 3: A premium option with enhanced benefits.
Irish Life Health and DeCare coverage
You can access detailed policy information by signing in to your Remote account and navigating to the Benefits tab. The Benefit Guide provides comprehensive details about the health and dental plans available.
Does Irish Life Health provide an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
Yes, Irish Life offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) called Healthy Minds. This program provides:
- Up to 6 free counseling sessions for employees and their immediate family members.
- Free access to the LifeWorks app for additional mental health support.
What are the costs for adding dependents to the Health plan?
Please note that you may have been granted with single or family coverage:
- Single Coverage: The company covers only the employee. The employee pays for any dependents added through direct debit.
- Family Coverage: The company covers the employee and all added dependents (spouse/partner and children). Children are defined as dependents aged 23 or under who are in full time education.
If an employee, provided with employee-only coverage, wishes to add dependents, they may do so at their own expense. The employee can pay the premiums directly to the insurer via debit card (split billing). When the cost is covered by the employee, Net Premiums
will apply 👇
The cost of adding dependents (spouse/partner and children) varies by demographics and Life Community Rating.
Dependants can be added by the employee at enrolment stage and the system will generate and share the employee paid premium for them.
Age | Guide 2 Plan | Guide 3 Plan |
Net Adult Premium | €1.422,30 | €1.682,20 |
Net Child Premium | €347,40 | €484,90 |
Net Young Adult 18-20 | €711,00 | €840,90 |
Net Young Adult 21 | €783,40 | €933,20 |
Net Young Adult 22 | €938,40 | €1.120,40 |
Net Young Adult 23 | €1.099,70 | €1.307,60 |
Net Young Adult 24 | €1.260,90 | €1.494,80 |
Net Young Adult 25 | €1.422,30 | €1.682,20 |
How can the employees add dependents to Irish Life Health Insurance?
- Enrollment Stage:
When setting up their own new policy, employees can add dependents during the initial enrollment process. If the employee is granted single coverage, the system will calculate and share the employee-paid premium for the added dependents. This is paid via a personal direct debit or one off card payment. Whichever is more convenient for you.
- After Enrollment:
If you are already enrolled and wish to add dependents, the process will depend on your current coverage type:
- Single Coverage: You can add dependents using the self-enrollment link provided on the employee benefit guide.
- Family Coverage: To add dependents, you will need to email the broker directly at [tommy.mcgowan@ihigroup.ie]
Can I upgrade from Guide 2 to Guide 3 by paying the extra cost myself?
No, upgrades from one plan to another are not allowed. The health plans are group plans selected by your employer, and individual customizations are not supported.
Information on extended dental coverage with DeCare in Ireland
If you’ve been granted health benefits, you may also have been granted extended dental coverage. The same single or family coverage structure applies. Remember to check your Remote benefits hub to get details on your benefit offering (if any)
If you have been granted with the single plan, you can add dependants at their own cost and pay the premiums directly to the insurer by debit card.When the cost is covered by the employee, Net Premiums
will apply 👇
Dependents | Net Year | Net Month |
---|---|---|
Children | €113,75 | €9,48 |
Spouse | €229,32 | €19,11 |
- Partner is defined as spouse or common law partner
- Children are defined as dependents aged 23 or under who are in full time education
Are there any tax or financial implications of enrolling in the health/dental plan?
Yes, health insurance in Ireland is considered a Benefit in Kind (BIK), meaning it is taxable. You are responsible for paying tax on the health insurance amount provided by your employer.
For more details, visit this article: What are the tax implications of Benefits in Kind (BIK)?
What happens if I don’t take any action during the renewal or miss the deadline?
If you were enrolled in the plan last year and do not make any changes, your coverage—including any dependents—will automatically continue for the next policy year. However, you will be moved to the new plan selected by the company.
If you were not enrolled in the health or dental plan last year, you will need to opt-in during the enrollment window.
How can an employee enroll the dependents to DeCare?
Whether entitled to Single or Family Coverage, you can add your dependants via the DeCare Microsite Links at any time. So whether taking out a policy for the first time or adding dependants later, you use the microsite link and there will be a heading “Add you dependants”.
Where can I get my Irish Life or DeCare insurance card?
You won’t receive a physical card. After you enroll, you’ll receive a welcome email from Irish Life and/or DeCare. From there, you can log in to their app to access your digital insurance card.
What are the start and end dates for the Irish Life and DeCare plans?
- The start date for Irish Life coverage should match your employment start date. You have 30 days from your start date to enroll. After that, you will need to wait until the next policy renewal in January.
- The DeCare plan starts on the 1st of the month if you enroll by the 15th. Otherwise, it begins on the 1st of the following month.
- Coverage will end on the date your employment ends.
What is the duration of my commitment to the Irish Life or DeCare plan?
Both health and dental coverage require a year-long commitment. Once you opt in, your coverage will last until the next annual policy renewal in January.
What can I do on the Irish Life and DeCare platforms?
You can log in to the Irish Life portal or app to easily submit your medical expense, schedule online appointments, review your network. You can also access your insurance card and policy details.
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