Accounts Payable And Accrued Expenses

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Accounts Payable And Accrued Expenses [Abstract]

8. Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses:

Accounts payable and accrued expenses consist of the following (in thousands):


	December 31,
	2011		2010
Accounts payable	$	12,264	$	9,581
Accrued salaries and bonuses		147,613		132,221
Accrued payroll taxes and benefits		29,443		26,122
Accrued professional liability risks		13,218		11,876
Accrued contingent consideration		12,089		8,266
Accrual for uncertain tax positions		3,242		10,948
Other accrued expenses		16,666		8,923

	$	234,535	$	207,937

The net increase in accrued salaries and bonuses of $15.4 million, from $132.2 million at December 31, 2010 to $147.6 million at December 31, 2011, is primarily due to performance-based incentive compensation accrued during the year ended December 31, 2011, partially offset by the payment of performance-based incentive compensation during the first quarter of 2011. A majority of the Company's payments for performance-based incentive compensation is paid annually in the first quarter.

The accrual for uncertain tax positions, which represents the current portion of reserves for uncertain tax positions including interest and penalties, decreased by $7.7 million, from $10.9 million at December 31, 2010 to $3.2 million at December 31, 2011 primarily due to reclassification of certain temporary differences to deferred taxes payable. See Note 11 for more information regarding the Company's uncertain tax positions.