Orlando Health faces lawsuit, allegedly overcharged patients

ORLANDO, Fla. — A new lawsuit filed against Orlando Health this week is claiming the group is ripping off patients by overcharging them by more than 3,000 percent.

The lawsuit, which is aimed at the eight hospitals Orlando Health operates, said the overcharging has to do with anesthesia services.

It also claims there's dozens of former patients who may join the lawsuit as the couple filing suit pursues class action status.

According to the suit, the company billed patients for more than $183 million in what’s called “time units of anesthesiology.”

But the cost to the hospital was only about $5 million, which is an alleged mark-up of more than 3,000 percent.

“Taken at face value, what we see now, this lawsuit may well have legs. The allegations, if proven, can end up costing Orlando Health tens of millions of dollars,” WFTV’s legal analyst, Bill Sheaffer, said. “One of the counts of this lawsuit is ‘unjust enrichment.’ It’s saying, ‘Look, they made a lot of money that they’re really not entitled to.’”

In a statement, Orlando Health officials said the lawsuit seems to be a billing dispute.

The statement said, “It looks as though the plaintiffs owed us money and had to use some of their settlement money to pay the bill.”

Part of the lawsuit questioned what a time unit of anesthesiology even is.

Channel 9’s Renee Stoll asked Orlando Health officials that same question was but told they couldn’t answer at the time.

If a judge allows the lawsuit to go forward as a class action, the suit claims there are at least 40 people that could join.

WFTV