See you in court. Damage inflicted by the Y2K bug threatens to become a dream for litigators but a nightmare for healthcare executives.

Most hospitals and health systems perceive and treat the year-2000 faulty computer code as a technical problem, but it is a high-level management problem. If hospitals don't start preparing comprehensively, they will face a host of consequences. Experts say spillover will extend into business issues, finances and liability. But providers must choose their most important priorities and develop contingency plans.