A recent audit conducted by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor revealed that the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is still struggling with various financial and compliance issues. Despite showing some progress in resolving past audit findings, the agency has failed to address the majority of the issues, some of which have been unresolved for up to seven years.
The audit highlighted concerns such as financial misreporting, Medicaid eligibility problems, provider oversight issues, and discrepancies in Medicaid expenditures. The LDH was unable to provide documentation for $248 million in Medicaid expenditures, leading to $168 million in federal questioned costs.
In response to the audit findings, LDH management attributed the errors to staffing shortages and insufficient training. The department has hired a vendor for federal reporting support and training and has implemented a staff development plan to improve accuracy and compliance.
Persistent issues identified in the audit include failures to fully enroll and screen Medicaid managed care providers, inadequate financial controls, payroll certification issues, and inconsistencies in various payment programs.
Moving forward, LDH is working to address the audit findings and improve its financial management and compliance practices.
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