Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

6. Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses:

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


	March 31, 2017		December 31, 2016
Accounts payable	$	23,885	$	28,474
Accrued salaries and bonuses		98,885		220,635
Accrued payroll taxes and benefits		42,162		67,830
Accrued professional liabilities		32,765		28,972
Accrued contingent consideration		6,145		6,566
Accrued interest		14,860		4,511
Other accrued expenses		37,619		50,950

	$	256,321	$	407,938

The net decrease in accrued salaries and bonuses of $121.8 million, from December 31, 2016 to March 31, 2017, is primarily due to the payment of performance-based incentive compensation, principally to the Company’s physicians, partially offset by performance-based incentive compensation accrued during the three months ended March 31, 2017. A majority of the Company’s payments for performance-based incentive compensation is paid annually during the first quarter.