I honestly don't know, nor do I check to see who has insurance and who does not. If it's not glaringly obvious, I don't usually even know the insurance status of my patients.
Yes, I know there are different outcomes for patients who have insurance vs those that don't (based on trends, preventative care, socioeconomic status, etc.), but you are insinuating that this patient is getting different treatment BY THE NURSE because he does not have insurance. If you were to say this to me, I would be completely insulted.
AND I WOULD NOT advocate going past the nursing staff if I had a concern about my father's care. Go up the chain of command - in the appropriate manner, but do not completely bypass the nursing staff. It undermines the nurse's role here.