Oh my... sounds ~way~ to familiar to me... I have on occasion asked a doctor's office if they would accept payment up-front, but as a potential savings for me... I've never had one do it as a matter of SOP, and try to SOP all the money out the patient before... and I've had me ~WAY~ too many encounters of the medical kind for my liking...
I salute you for your patience (or is that "patients"???)...
... and the round and round... sounds like another posting in the musical thread...