Chat to us
XOpen navigation

CRITICAL ILLNESS COVER

Get a fast cash benefit* to help you deal with the financial impact of serious illness so you can focus on recovery.

Get a quote
A lady battling cancer smiles with her supportive friend.

WHY CHOOSE HCF CRITICAL ILLNESS COVER?

HCF Critical Illness Cover provides financial support if you’ve been diagnosed with a serious illness, like cancer or a heart attack.

A man with a broken arm wearing an arm sling icon.
2 levels of cover

Get cover up to $25,000 or $50,000*, depending on your needs and budget.

An icon of hands accepting coins.
Flexible cash payment

Recover your way from a specified serious illness – how you use your cash is up to you.

A coin in dollar currency icon.
Made to suit all budgets

Cover starts from $2.30 per week for singles^, so it’s made to suit all budgets.

An icon of a stopwatch timer.
Fast claims processing

Most claims paid in less than 10 days (once we get the information we need).

DO I NEED CRITICAL ILLNESS COVER?

If you’re diagnosed with a specified serious illness, Critical Illness Cover helps take care of the costs, so you can focus on recovering at your own pace.

An illustration of a mother and daughter hugging.

Peace of mind 

Rest easy knowing you and your family have a financial safety net if serious illness strikes.

An illustration of a man sleeping in bed.

A helping hand

Get help around the house, pay for taxis or cover the bills while you focus on your recovery. 

An illustration of a waiter working in a cafe.

Your self-employed

Access cash to help keep you afloat if you need to take time away from your business.

An illustration of a family under an umbrella.

Extra protection

Helps fill the gaps not covered by health insurance with extra cash to use how you want.

Get a quote

DESIGNED FOR MEMBERS. AWARDED BY THE INDUSTRY.

A badge of the Mozo award.

HCF Critical Illness Cover won the Trauma Standalone Award for 2021 to 2022.

A badge of the Finder award.

Recognised at the 2024 Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards as Most Trusted Brand in the Direct Life Insurance category.

A badge of the WeMoney award.

WeMoney’s award Best for Income Protection Insurance (Direct), 3 years running (2022 to 2024).

FIND COVER THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU

Looking for something else? Explore our other life insurance and Recover Cover products and find cover that’s right for you.

A lady enjoying a coffee while beachside.

Life Protect Insurance 

Provides financial support if you're diagnosed with a terminal illness+ or pass away.

Learn more
A lady with a broken leg sitting on the lounge with her kids.

Income Protect Insurance

Pays you a monthly benefit for up to 12 months# if you can’t work due to illness or injury.

Learn more
A woman sitting on the lounge with a broken leg.

Cash Back Cover

Pays cash to help with the costs of recovery like extra rehab, taxis or help around the house.

Learn more
A patient with a nurse doing rehab for an injury.

Personal Accident Insurance

Helps with the unexpected costs of recovery from specified injuries caused by an accident.

Learn more

NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CRITICAL ILLNESS COVER?

Answers to commonly asked questions to help you make the right choice.

There are some things in life we don’t want to think about, but it can pay to plan for the unexpected. When serious illness strikes, like a heart attack or cancer, it can impact more than just your health.

Critical illness cover, also known as trauma insurance, provides financial support to help you deal with the financial impact of serious illness. It can help fill the gap not covered by traditional health insurance by paying you cash that can be used any way you choose to support you through the recovery process – whether you need it for extra treatments or therapies, taxis to and from the doctor or for help around the house.

Critical Illness Cover pays a benefit if you suffer from the following specified critical illnesses:

  • cancer of specific severity
  • cardiac arrest outside a hospital
  • coronary artery angioplasty
  • coronary artery bypass graft surgery
  • heart attack of specific severity
  • intensive care (more than 5 days)
  • open heart surgery
  • severe permanent cardiac impairment
  • stroke
  • surgery of the aorta.

The amount you can claim will depend on your level of cover, as well as the illness and treatment.

Critical Illness Cover is available to Australian permanent residents aged 18 to 54, with cover expiring at age 65. You can help protect everyone on your HCF health cover with the Critical Illness Cover life insurance family cover option.

For full terms and conditions, read the Critical Illness Cover PDS.

We won’t pay you a benefit in certain situations, for example, if your illness:

  • is not diagnosed or treated in Australia
  • is a result of an illegal act, intentional self-injury or drug and alcohol abuse
  • occurs within 90 days of the policy’s cover commencement date or is related to a pre-existing condition. A pre-existing condition is a sickness or disability which you had on your policy’s cover commencement date, or within 5 years immediately prior to, and, at the time of the cover commencement date, you were aware of, or a reasonable person in the circumstances could be expected to have been aware of, the sickness or disability.

For full terms and conditions, read the Critical Illness Cover PDS.

Critical Illness Cover is designed to suit all budgets, starting from $2.30 per week for singles^.

Your Critical Illness Cover premium increases with your age in 5-year bands. The first increase occurs at age 20 and then continues every 5 years after that until your policy ceases at age 65.

From time to time, we may also change the Critical Illness Cover premium for all policyholders to allow us to cover rising claims costs and better support our members’ needs. You’ll be notified at least 30 days in advance if your premium is changing.

To make a Critical Illness Cover claim, you can call us on 13 13 34 or email us at lifeclaims@hcf.com.au and we’ll provide you with a claim form to complete and return to our claims team to assess. 

There are some things in life we don’t want to think about, but it can pay to plan for the unexpected. When serious illness strikes, like a heart attack or cancer, it can impact more than just your health.

Critical illness cover, also known as trauma insurance, provides financial support to help you deal with the financial impact of serious illness. It can help fill the gap not covered by traditional health insurance by paying you cash that can be used any way you choose to support you through the recovery process – whether you need it for extra treatments or therapies, taxis to and from the doctor or for help around the house.

Critical Illness Cover pays a benefit if you suffer from the following specified critical illnesses:

  • cancer of specific severity
  • cardiac arrest outside a hospital
  • coronary artery angioplasty
  • coronary artery bypass graft surgery
  • heart attack of specific severity
  • intensive care (more than 5 days)
  • open heart surgery
  • severe permanent cardiac impairment
  • stroke
  • surgery of the aorta.

The amount you can claim will depend on your level of cover, as well as the illness and treatment.

Critical Illness Cover is available to Australian permanent residents aged 18 to 54, with cover expiring at age 65. You can help protect everyone on your HCF health cover with the Critical Illness Cover life insurance family cover option.

For full terms and conditions, read the Critical Illness Cover PDS.

We won’t pay you a benefit in certain situations, for example, if your illness:

  • is not diagnosed or treated in Australia
  • is a result of an illegal act, intentional self-injury or drug and alcohol abuse
  • occurs within 90 days of the policy’s cover commencement date or is related to a pre-existing condition. A pre-existing condition is a sickness or disability which you had on your policy’s cover commencement date, or within 5 years immediately prior to, and, at the time of the cover commencement date, you were aware of, or a reasonable person in the circumstances could be expected to have been aware of, the sickness or disability.

For full terms and conditions, read the Critical Illness Cover PDS.

Critical Illness Cover is designed to suit all budgets, starting from $2.30 per week for singles^.

Your Critical Illness Cover premium increases with your age in 5-year bands. The first increase occurs at age 20 and then continues every 5 years after that until your policy ceases at age 65.

From time to time, we may also change the Critical Illness Cover premium for all policyholders to allow us to cover rising claims costs and better support our members’ needs. You’ll be notified at least 30 days in advance if your premium is changing.

To make a Critical Illness Cover claim, you can call us on 13 13 34 or email us at lifeclaims@hcf.com.au and we’ll provide you with a claim form to complete and return to our claims team to assess. 

Have another question? Head over to our Recover Cover FAQs to find more answers.

Looking for something else?

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, our team are ready to help and guide you in the right direction.

A phone icon.
Call us

Have a question? Call our friendly team of Recover Cover specialists on 1800 560 855 , Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm (AEST) and Saturday, 9am to 5pm (AEST).

Call the team today
A chat bubble
Make a claim

Our claiming process is fast and easy, and most of our claims are paid in less than 10 days (once we get the information we need).

Find out more

Important Information

HCF Recover Cover products are issued by HCF Life Insurance Company Pty Ltd. ABN 37 001 831 250, AFSL 236 806 (HCF Life) and arranged by The Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia Limited ABN 68 000 026 746, AFSL 241 414 (HCF), which wholly owns HCF Life. HCF and HCF Life do not provide any advice based on any consideration of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Policy terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply. Before making a decision, please consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement, Policy Document and Financial Services Guide available by calling 1800 560 855 or visiting hcf.com.au/lifeinfo. The relevant Target Market Determination is available is also available at hcf.com.au/lifeinfo. The premiums for HCF Life Protect and Recover Cover products are paid to HCF Life. HCF receives commission from HCF Life for their sale of up to 40% of the first year's premium plus an additional commission of 80% of HCF Life's underwriting profit each year calculated as premiums less claims and expenses. HCF's staff may receive an incentive depending on the annual premium of these products which they sell. This will not exceed 15% of the first year's premium.

* Subject to conditions, exclusions and limitations. Please refer to the PDS and Policy Document for further information.

^ Cover starts from $2.30 per week for singles aged 18 to 34 on $25,000 cover level and $4.60 per week for singles aged 18 to 34 on $50,000 cover level. Subject to conditions, exclusions and limitations. Please refer to the PDS and Policy Document for further information.

+ Less than 24 months’ life expectancy. Subject to conditions, exclusions and limitations. Please refer to the PDS and Policy Document for further information.

# Payment is subject to offsets including any amounts payable from your employer or superannuation fund, is limited to 12 months and a maximum benefit of 70% of average monthly income (up to $10,000 per month) and is subject to other conditions, exclusions and limitations. Please refer to the PDS and Policy Document for further information.

Life Insurance Code of Practice

HCF Life is bound by the Life Insurance Code Of Practice which sets out the Australian life insurance industry’s key commitments and obligations to customers. Further information is available at CALI Life Insurance Code of Practice.

HCF acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands and water upon which we work and live. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rich history as traditional healers and scientists, who have taken care of the health of the land and its people for thousands of years. We give thanks to elders past and present, who we have much to learn from on our reconciliation journey. View our Reconciliation Action Plan