Florida Blue customers overcharged due to processing error

Audrey Rohlehr's account charged $32,000 in a day

HIALEAH, Fla. – Florida Blue Health Insurance customers have been getting a message on their phones lately, explaining to them a billing error that has caused some to overpay for services.

Audrey Rohlehr, a Miami-Dade County resident, said  she noticed something was wrong when a $10 monthly payment failed to clear her bank.

"So I went to my bank account and I see that I am overdrawn by $32,000," Rohlehr said.

Rohlehr then noticed that Florida Blue had charged her normal $780 payment more than 40 times in just one day.

The major overdraft froze her bank account, leaving her stuck, and wondering what kind of long-term effects this could have on her finances.

"It sucked out everything from my overdraft protection, one of which is a credit card which now would appear to be maxed out and which obviously would not be available to me to use, I don't want later on, if I’m applying for something, for it to look like oh she maxes out her credit cards," Rohlehr said.

Florida Blue said in a statement that about 9,500 customers were affected by the overpayments that stem from a payment processing issue with one of their vendors. The company said that it's working hard to fix any issues it has caused.

The insurance company said it is has already started issuing refunds for any overpayments.

"Within 24 hours of becoming aware of the issue, we initiated charge reversals for all impacted members," the statement said. "Many of these members have already seen refunds reflected in their accounts. Other refunds are currently being processed by members' financial institutions. We expect those refunds should be completed by most banks within the next few days; in some instances it may take slightly longer."

If  you think you're having a similar issue, call the number on the back of your membership card or visit a Florida Blue location for help.