The next heavy shoe in the nationwide healthcare reform debate is about to drop on Tuesday. That’s when the Senate Finance Committee has decided to vote on what will likely become that chamber’s model for reconciliation with a House version.

Votes such as Tuesday’s are not typically called unless leaders know they have the votes to pass a measure, even if the outcome is expected to fall largely upon party lines, as Tuesday’s is expected to do. Although reform proposals have been decried by long-term care leaders as holding “nothing” good for their providers, Senate proposals have been decidedly less harsh than the already-passed House bill.