BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A new audit says Louisiana's health department is sloppy in monitoring billions of dollars in payments to private companies that manage care for most of the state's Medicaid patients.

Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office identified a lengthy list of shortcomings in the oversight of the managed care organizations from 2012 through 2017.

Auditors say the health department isn't properly tracking health providers billing the managed care organizations for Medicaid patient services. The report says that lax oversight makes it impossible to know if the Medicaid program is paying for things it shouldn't be.

Health department officials said Tuesday the report is misleading.

Michael Boutte, Medicaid deputy director, says the agency has many ways to track provider claims that auditors didn't review. He says he doesn't expect improper payments were made.