(WFLA) — Customers of health insurer Florida Blue are singing the blues after a major computer glitch.
8 On Your Side discovered a system error drained their accounts of thousands of dollars, putting their financial health in jeopardy.
Florida Blue customer Beth Nearhood is livid. On the account she shares with her mother, the health insurance company socked them for premiums over and over again, putting her $4,000 in debt.
“They deducted hers three times and they deducted mine 30 times,” said Nearhood.
The debits drained her account, and then some.
“This was utterly horrifying. Absolutely horrifying to see that I’m $4,000 in debt, when I know that I have the money in there,” she said.
On Facebook, we found others hit with 105 debits, totaling more than $45,000 dollars.
Another had more than $67,000 taken out.
Customers are lashing out with words like “unacceptable” and “most incompetent, useless company.”
A Riverview business owner got hit with the Florida Blue debits.
“You just never really see this coming, and to see a number that big, it’s pretty alarming,” said Zach Ferguson.
Ferguson’s bank account has Florida blue debits totaling more than $34,000.
“Just really a shock, and so my account was overdrawn, needless to say.”
His account was overdrawn by over $31,000.
Florida Blue issued a statement saying “we are very sorry for the problems this is causing our members.”
It is trying to identify all over-payments and refund them promptly. It promises to reimburse bank fees from overdrafts.
Beth Nearhood got her money back, but she wants more.
“I would like to know what they’re going to do to make sure this never happens again,” she said.
Many customers had their bank accounts totally wiped out.
If you tried to call, some reported two to four hour wait times on hold to talk to a representative.
Florida Blue is promising to fix this glitch, which they blame on a “vendor.”
8 On Your Side suggests you call your bank in the morning, and you might consider a visit to a Florida Blue branch office to get this straightened out right away.STORIES THAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON-
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