Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

6. Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses:

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


	March 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Accounts payable	$	31,658	$	34,632
Accrued salaries and bonuses		108,521		225,429
Accrued payroll taxes and benefits		56,832		75,672
Accrued professional liabilities		37,542		37,912
Accrued contingent consideration		8,461		6,259
Accrued interest		14,923		4,495
Other accrued expenses		44,628		53,618

	$	302,565	$	438,017

The net decrease in accrued salaries and bonuses of $116.9 million, from December 31, 2017 to March 31, 2018, 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, 2018. A majority of the Company’s payments for performance-based incentive compensation is paid annually during the first quarter.