CRITICAL ILLNESS INSURANCE

Critical Illness Insurance is available to permanent Australian residents who are between 18 to 59-years-old, with cover expiring on your first policy anniversary date after turning 65.  

For more information, read the Critical Illness Insurance brochure.

Choose between cover for 3 major conditions only (cancer, heart attack and stroke) or for these conditions plus a range of other serious medical conditions, along with partial payment for selected early-stage cancers^*.

Cancer, Heart Attack and Stroke Cover pays a benefit if you suffer from the following specified critical illnesses:

• Cancer of a specific severity.
• Heart attack with evidence of severe heart muscle damage.
• Stroke in the brain resulting in specified permanent impairment.

Extended Illness Cover pays a benefit for the 3 major conditions (cancer, heart attack and stroke), plus if you suffer from the following additional specified critical illnesses:

• Early-stage cancers.
• Cardiac arrest outside of a hospital.
• Chronic organ failure (specified organs).
• Coronary artery angioplasty.
• Coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
• Loss of limb^{^^}.
• Major head trauma with permanent neurological impairment^{^^}.
• Open heart surgery.
• Severe permanent cardiac impairment.
• Surgery of the aorta.
• Blindness (total and permanent)^{^^}.
• Deafness (total and permanent)^{^^}.
• Paralysis (total and permanent)^{^^}.
• Severe burns (specified severity)^{^^}.

The amount you can claim will depend on your level of cover and the insured benefit you’ve chosen. The total of all benefits paid over the duration of your policy won’t exceed your selected insured benefit amount.

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

Certain circumstances aren’t covered by Critical Illness Insurance, which means you won't be paid a benefit if your illness:

• occurs on or before your policy start date or, for a specified critical illness, during the 90 day qualifying period
• isn’t diagnosed or involves a diagnosis that isn’t confirmed by a medical practitioner in Australia, or involves a medical procedure not undertaken in Australia
• is a result of an illegal act, intentional self-injury or attempted suicide, or drug and alcohol abuse
• is directly or indirectly caused by acts of war, whether declared or not, hostilities, civil commotion, terrorism or insurrection
• is directly or indirectly caused by, or attributable to, a special condition that’s agreed with you after your health and lifestyle assessment.

You also won't be paid a benefit if you don’t survive the critical illness for at least 14 days after it occurs.

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

A Special Condition is an exclusion that applies specifically to you and is agreed with you after your health and lifestyle assessment. For example, we may increase your premium or exclude claims related to a particular medical condition or recreational activity. Any special condition will be clearly listed in your policy schedule under 'Special Conditions'.

Your Critical Illness Insurance premium increases every year with your age and on the anniversary of your policy start date. This is known as a variable age-stepped premium. Premiums will generally increase over time, with increases typically getting larger as you get older. They’re calculated based on age, gender, smoker status, health and lifestyle assessment, level of cover and cover amount chosen, and indexation applied annually to your chosen cover amount to keep up with the cost of living.

From time to time, we may also change the Critical Illness Insurance premium 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 Insurance 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. 

You may also be asked to supply any other documents or evidence we may need to assess your claim.