(AP) -- A new $480 million computer system begins processing North Carolina's Medicaid payment claims, and state health agency officials hope it's ready for prime time.
The complex NCTracks software on Monday starts handling more than $12 billion in Medicaid claims paid by the state each year. More than 70,000 medical providers across the state will depend on the new system to file Medicaid claims for more than 1.5 million North Carolinians.
The office of State Auditor Beth Wood warned in May that the North Carolina health and human services department failed to fully test the system that's resulting from the most expensive contract in state history.
The audit said more than a quarter of the "critical" tests were never performed and the software failed 15 percent of more than 800 tests.
