Critical Conditions Cover

Critical Conditions Cover can provide valuable support for you and your loved ones if you face serious illness or injury.

Adding Critical Conditions cover to your life insurance means that if you suffer from one of the 38 conditions specified in your policy, you will receive a lump sum payment to use however you need.

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• You can only purchase Critical Conditions cover with a Life Insurance policy. You can't buy it on its own.

If you have Critical Conditions cover on your policy and the insured person is diagnosed with one of the thirty-eight conditions covered, we'll pay the policy owner a tax-free lump sum.

Cancer diagnoses are the most common reason we pay Critical Condition claims, but it also covers heart attack, stroke and many other conditions.

Please note:

If your policy talks about 'Critical Illness’, not ‘Critical Conditions', you have a policy unavailable after November 2024. A Critical Illness policy covers 24 conditions; it’s an earlier version of our Critical Conditions cover. If you have Critical Illness cover, click here to see what you're covered for, and click here if you’d like to apply to change your policy to Critical Conditions Cover.
If your policy talks about 'Serious Illness', then you have a policy that is no longer available after 2018. Serious Illness covers different conditions. Click here to see what you're covered for, and click here if you’d like to apply to change your policy to Critical Conditions Cover.

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The Basics

Getting covered

You can apply for Critical Conditions Cover when you apply for Life Insurance.
You can apply if you are aged between 18 to 59 years and living in NZ, Australia, USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Hong Kong or Singapore.
Our policies have a 30-day free look period, so you have plenty of time to check out the details, review your cover and be confident it's right for you.

Once your policy is in place

You may be able to increase your Critical Conditions by up to 50%, with no further questions asked on the 5th, 10th, 15th or 20th anniversary of your policy or if you:
- get married, divorced or become a parent,
- have a child, spouse or partner who starts full-time secondary or tertiary education for the first time,
- have a child, spouse or partner who dies or is diagnosed with a Terminal illness,
- take on the full-time care (for the first time) of a dependent relative,
- a new or increased mortgage.
You can decrease your Critical Conditions cover or remove it from your Life Insurance policy at any time without penalty.
Your payments will increase each year as you get older.
When you turn 70, your Critical Conditions cover will end.

When you need to claim on your policy

You will get a cash lump-sum payment, depending on the amount of cover you've selected, of up to $625,000.
The Critical Conditions lump-sum payment amount will reduce your Life Insurance. Critical Conditions Cover is an 'early payment benefit' (sometimes called 'accelerated' cover by other providers).
Your claim will be paid to the person who owns the policy in New Zealand Dollars, anywhere in the world.
Your policy will be reinsured by Hannover Life Re, one of the world's largest re-insurers of life insurance.

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FAQs

How can I pay?

You can pay your Pinnacle Life premiums monthly, six-monthly or yearly. We prefer it if you pay by direct debit, however we also accept internet banking/automatic payment, or credit card. When paying via credit card, a charge of 3.95% is added to your premiums.

We do not accept weekly or fortnightly payments.

How much trauma (Critical Conditions) insurance do I need?

The amount of critical insurance cover you require is up to you. The maximum amount of cover you can have is up to $625,000. For help with understanding what you need, use our online tools to get a quote or more personalised advice check out our online advice tool.

Is trauma (Critical Conditions) insurance worth it?

We think it’s good to be prepared when we don’t know what the future may hold. Trauma insurance takes care of the bigger unknowns by covering most major health conditions. By adding trauma cover alongside life insurance, know that you will be well-taken care of, no matter what.

What are your age limits?

We offer cover to people aged between 18 and 75. Specifically, the age limits are:

For Life Insurance

you can apply online if you are aged 20-69
or by talking to us if you are 18-75.
You can be living in NZ, Australia, USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Hong Kong or Singapore.

For Income Protection

you can apply if you are 20-59 and,
living and working in NZ.

For Critical Conditions (note you can only apply for Critical Conditions at the same time that you apply for life insurance)

You can apply online if you are age 20-59

For Disability Cover (note you can only apply for Disability Cover at the same time that you apply for life insurance)

You can apply online if you are age 20-59

What does trauma (Critical Conditions) insurance cover?

There are 38 conditions covered by trauma insurance. You can find a list here of Pinnacle Life Critical Conditions Definitions. Most common conditions are a cancer diagnosis, heart attack, or stroke.

What is trauma (or Critical Conditions) insurance?

Trauma insurance covers you for specific medical conditions. Once diagnosed, you may be eligible to receive a tax-free, lump-sum payment that can be used in any way you like if your ailment is one of the 38 conditions covered by our policy. Help to fund your care or to look after your family members, trauma insurance is there to help you during difficult times. You can only buy it alongside life cover, you can’t buy it as a seperate policy.

Why do I need trauma (Critical Conditions) cover?

If you are diagnosed with a critical condition, this cover will pay you a tax-free lump sum. Some people use it to pay bills while they aren’t able to work, to help fund their treatment, or to get some extra help at home. It can help make your life easier while you are dealing with an illness.

Critical Conditions covers you the first time you are diagnosed with any one of 38 different conditions.

If you've been with us for a while, you may have an older version of this policy, Critical Illness or Serious Illness Cover. Critical Illness cover protects you the first time you are diagnosed with one of these 24 Illnesses. Serious Illness Cover protects you the first time you are diagnosed with one of 4 Serious Conditions. If you'd rather have Critical Conditions cover, you'll need to apply.

Need help working out what life insurance you need?

Get advice

Use our tool to do your own advice.
No need to talk to anyone (that means you can do it in your pajamas).