More than 800 Medibank policyholders allegedly paid extra for joint surgeries or avoided them completely because they were falsely told they weren’t covered by their private health insurance.

The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) is taking the health fund to court over allegations it misled customers who needed spinal surgery, pelvic surgery, hip surgery or knee reconstructions.

The consumer watchdog claims hundreds of the patients either covered the costs of the procedures themselves or delayed treatment, “leading to additional pain and suffering”.

The patients held ‘Lite’ or ‘Boost’ policies with Medibank’s discount subsidiary AHM and should have been covered for joint investigations or reconstruction procedures, but when they made claims, the claims were rejected.