BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration has lost its latest effort to persuade House Republicans to back contract extensions for Louisiana's Medicaid managed-care companies.

Friday was the second time House GOP lawmakers voted to block the deals.

The companies coordinate health services for 1.5 million people. The House vote in the joint legislative budget committee was 17-7 against the extensions. Senators have previously supported the deals but didn't vote Friday because the House decision meant the contracts wouldn't pass.

GOP lawmakers question whether the health department is doing enough to monitor contracts estimated to cost $15.4 billion over 23 months. The Edwards administration says it's improved deals it inherited from Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration.

Lawmakers don't have a backup plan to provide services if the managed-care deals expire at January's end.