Thomas Zordani flew from his home in Denver to Phoenix for a consultation with a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon, hoping to find out what could be done to treat his debilitating headaches after worrisome | Medical providers are collecting larger shares of what patients might owe at a time when rising deductibles mean patients are owing more for care.

More than a million times a year, a U.S. | While many factors affect the price of a medical procedure, hospitals with few competitors can charge more, health economists say.

Hospitals and other medical providers are increasingly asking for payment before providing care, collecting more of what patients might owe as rising insurance deductibles add to…