Patients rights/reponsibilities

Being a physical therapist and my wife being a nurse, we chat a lot about patients. She regals me with stories of both triumph and tragedy and I provide the lighter side with quips of "finishing work" and of patients who don't show for treatment. Other then pure personality, I have had three patients worthy of mention. Patients who have confuddled me and challenged me. One turned out triumphantly, one just turned out and one is in progress.
The first, a civil servant of low middle class status, but uber-rich of spirit. Healthy and 40 one day, fatally broken (or should have been) the next. The other driver who crossed the yellow line was very sorry. Three major surgeries on his leg later and he has unrelenting pain with indiscernible cause. "I would just like to get my pain to 5 of 10 (10 being the worst pain imaginable) so I can walk." Best thing I did was guide his exercises and tried to keep his current pain tolerable. At 3/10 pain at worst, he figured he had better things to do then come to therapy. I think he went sailing with his family.
The second has RSD. I say "has" and not "had" because she still has RSD (look it up, it is ugly). I reached into every corner of my tool box, turned it upside down and shook it loose to help this patient. I even got the referring Doc to write scripts for different pain meds. In the end, she could not be helped by physical therapy. Some patients just can't.
The difference between the first two are of type of injury and economic status (there-by insurance). The first has great insurance and the second has state provided insurance. The likeness between the two is the commitment of treatment from their healthcare providers including their therapist. They both come into and left our clinic with good medical treatment.
My current patient however...is a mess. HIPPA keeps me from getting to detailed but suffice it to say that this patient had problems before the car accident and the problems since have lead to 9/10 constant back pain. The patient cannot have prescription pain meds and the state provided insurance, I have a feeling, has not had the patent's best interest in their best interest. I will do my very best to help this patient. I hope the Dr.'s office and the insurance company will do the same.
I have written all of this to tell you this. It is exceptionally important for healthcare workers to be good healthcare workers and to do their best to help the people they treat. It is equally important for patients to be good patients. Insurance companys do not make money by writing checks. Know your rights. Every hospital has a "Patients Rights" document printed somewhere, if you do not see it, ask for it by name. Know what you want from your healthcare provider and ask for it specifically. Write down questions as you have them and make sure they are answered to your satisfaction.
A "good" healthcare worker does a good job treating your problem. A "great" heathcare worker does a good job treating YOU by helping you with your problem.