(AP) - New York auditors say the state's Medicaid system made up to $12.1 million in inappropriate payments last year, including $2.3 million in managed care payments for dead patients.



Auditors say other payments went for recipients dropped from long-term care coverage.



About $2.1 million was recovered during the auditors' field work.



The state health department says it's pursuing other overpayments.



Medicaid spending for more than 6 million low-income New Yorkers this year is expected to exceed $63 billion, half of it federally funded.



According to the audit report, claims are processed and paid weekly, averaging about 7 million claims and more than $1 billion in payments to providers.



Auditors say they identified 119 dead people enrolled in Medicaid and 1,177 enrollees who died and weren't automatically removed.