Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]  
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses
6. Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses:

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

 

     March 31, 2015      December 31, 2014  

Accounts payable

    $ 22,826       $ 32,783   

Accrued salaries and bonuses

      80,541         231,390   

Accrued payroll taxes and benefits

      40,379         49,858   

Accrued professional liabilities

      20,432         19,718   

Accrued contingent consideration

      18,264         17,010   

Other accrued expenses

      29,848         29,899   
  

 

 

     

 

 

  
$ 212,290    $ 380,658   
  

 

 

     

 

 

  

The net decrease in accrued salaries and bonuses of $150.8 million, from December 31, 2014 to March 31, 2015, 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, 2015. A majority of the Company’s payments for performance-based incentive compensation is paid annually in the first quarter.