I conferred with my golf buddy, Dr Epps (not his real name), who is a retired surgeon, on this. Physicians generally leave billing, collections and cost management to staff, but it is usually expected that patients have the resources to pay SOMETHING.
Elective procedures, like cosmetic surgery, are a different matter, usually involving a negotiation (and often a prepayment) with the patient. Doc Epps will not presume to say that all doctors conduct their business the same way