A Democrat bid to raise the stakes in lawsuits against physicians squeaked through the Senate today by one vote despite objections from Republicans--and even a dissenting Democrat--that it would drive up health care costs and drive docs out of rural Colorado.

Republicans are calling Senate Bill 164 "payback" to the trial-lawyers lobby, a key Democrat ally, because it hikes statutory caps on lawsuits to the benefit of lawyers--at doctors' expense. Doctors credit the caps under the current law with reining in their liability insurance rates so they can afford to continue practicing medicine.

The bill drew a stinging rebuke from Republicans on the Senate floor who pointed out the irony of raising the cost of doing business for doctors at the same time that both parties are looking for ways to curb spiraling health-care costs.

"Our vital priority is expanding access to health care," said the GOP's Sen. Shawn Mitchell, of Broomfield. "This bill goes in exactly the wrong direction." 

Mitchell recounted how Democrat Gov. Bill Ritter, among other leaders in his party, have repeatedly called for cutting health-care costs.

"There was not one word in the governor's (State of the State) speech about increasing damages awards for plaintiffs," Mitchell said. "This bill quadruples recoverable damages."