It took Sen. Max Baucus forever to come out with a proposed health care bill . And from the looks of things, whatever bill finally emerges from the Senate Finance Committee may not bear much resemblance to what Baucus proposed last week. For a sample of what’s to come, check out the committee’s legislation page , which includes a whopping 564 proposed amendments spread over three categories (”reforming the health care delivery system,” “expanding health care coverage” and the ever-popular “financing comprehensive health care reform.”) The amendments run the gamut from “protecting doctors from frivolous lawsuits” (#178) to “providing consumers with the same health insurance options as Members of Congress” (#329). These and all the rest are spelled over hundreds of pages here , here and here .

On the whole, the amendments head in directions you’d expect: As Politco noted , Republicans want fewer new taxes, and medical liability reform; amendments from Dems would do things like strengthen health insurance co-ops and boost tax credits to low- and middle-income families. Lest you think that these amendments are mere posturing by minor Senate figures, check out this WSJ interview with Chairman Baucus, who is himself looking to make a pretty significant changes to the bill. Specifically, Baucus may cut the tax on high-end health benefits and increase subsidies to help some families buy health insurance. The full Senate panel will begin hammering out the details to the Baucus proposal Tuesday.

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Baucus Health Bill: 564 Proposed Amendments, and Counting