BATON ROUGE - A state audit has found that the Department of Health and Hospitals failed to follow legally required processes at a cost of tens of millions of dollars to taxpayers. 

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor's sweeping examination of the state health agency was released Wednesday.

DHH officials in letters to the state auditor largely agreed with the report's findings. 

Auditor Daryl G. Purpera faulted DHH for numerous shortcomings in management.

The report found, among other things, that it had failed to recover about $29 million from third parties.

Auditors also found DHH failed to install the checks needed to ensure timely filing and prompt payment of Medicaid claims. This was found to be the case last year too.