Alan Rechter, MD

I tried to see Dr. Alan Rechter for a mild injury in a hand. He was recommended by a Dr. that I use to see. He may be a good Doctor but I did not have the opportunity, or should I say… The «Opportunity» of evidencing how well or not so well he is in the medical field.
Lacking of a better term, I would say that his «gate keepers» (the people at the front desk) impeded that.
This office is so oriented in having you forms that I have never seen before. I am not saying about the typical insurance documents, nor the typical obligations and responsibilities you tend to sign to insure that they will be fully paid.
I will explain… On one of the forms they actually asked my authorization for allowing a Non-​Physician, Assistant to address my problems. I clearly told the «Gate Keeper» that I did not want an Assistant to see me, but a real Doctor. She (the «Gate Keeper») insisted that needed give them explicit signed written authorization for the «Assistant» to address my medical problem. She also said that I could later object it even though I was already objecting and opposing the «Assistant» intervention from the beginning.
That did not matter, they wanted my signed approval to let the «Assistant» come and show his experience. Then, I learned the reason:
They also wanted me to sign another authorization so my Insurance could pay for this «Assistant» intervention even when I clearly stated that I did not want a student or an assistant or anybody with no Physicians’ grade to be in charge of evaluating my medical needs. That form said that with the new Health Law, the payments to their «Assistants» should be approved differently.
Then… Another form in which I needed to authorize them to prescribe some medicine based on some very harmful chemical. Form that I did not want to sign. That form was not simply informative it was drafted in a way that I was supposed to give them my permission to prescribe me a harmful medicine based on a hallucinogen. I, of course didn’t want to sign that form.
The «Gate Keeper» clearly upset with my concerns and objections to follow «her commands», turned the papers to another «Gate Keeper» and without saying anything to me, nor telling me what to expect or if I should wait or not. I just use my common sense and decided to seat and wait to see where these concerns and objections of mine would take me.
After about 10 minutes later the «gate keeper» called me to tell me that no service was going to be received if I would not sign the documents, which were their policy.
I assume their policy is to have inexperience associates that may address or perhaps prescribe medicines.
I assume that their policy is to make sure those «assistants» are well paid even though the law may say differently.
I assume it is OK to authorize them to prescribe you a medicine that may have a hallucinogen or even may have fatal effects on you
She finally asked me: –Are you going to sign them? My obvious response was NO, then she said that they could not service me. Fortunately, I asked for my signed documents back. I had keep them as evidence if needed.
Just to emphasize and add clarification: I am not saying about the typical insurance documents, nor the typical obligations and responsibilities you tend to sign to insure that they will be fully paid. I am saying of forms that were clearly drafted so your insurance should pay for more of what you requested or needed. I still do not know why I should allow them to prescribe me a drug based on a hallucinogen.
I don’t tend to write reviews but I hope you read this lines and be prepared to deal with the «keepers»
Dr. Rechter may be excellent. But you have to pass the gate first. His «Keepers» will have you waiting there and if you do not agree to sign their «special» documents, some of which may be very compromising, they may not allow you to pass through their «golden doors to heaven».
Save your time and find a real professional, someone more interested in your health than in covering their bills even if those should not be paid. Try to find a real doctor and a real Health Provider, not just a bunch of abrasive unfriendly «gate keepers» like the ones that made me waste my time.

I was torn what kind of rating to give, because there is Dr. Rechter and the office experience. If it was solely based on Dr. Rechter, it would be a 10! He is great, one of my absolute favorite doctors. He is funny, genuinely interested in what is going on, and thinks outside of the box. I have seen him for 2 different ailments and he always tries the least-​invasive first instead of jumping immediately to shots or surgery.
The office, however, is ridiculously slow. This wouldn’t be enough to turn me away, I just know going in to expect a wait. But do not make an appointment if you only have an hour, or even 2. I have waited over an hour in the waiting area, then almost another hour in the room. Appointments can be a pain to get, but if you are flexible on which location and time, you can usually get in within a day or two.
I would recommend to someone trying to find a good long term doctor, but not to someone who has an issue they need fixed right away.

Amazing doctor, he shows such an amazing interest in his patients injury, he is non-​invasive with surgery when it is not needed, and he is incredibly personable. There are bad reviews on here for wait times but he sees SO many patients in a day, there is a reason there is a line to get in and you can’t get an appointment right away, everyone wants to be with him! Don’t let the poor review scare you, I mean how many people come on here to rave, it’s to complain, I’m here to reassure you he is the best of the best. Thanks Dr. R!

This review is about his office staff. I made this appointment for my son many days ago expecting to see a «good» doctor. This afternoon, after driving 45 minutes before I reached his office, I happened to make a call to confirm the office address but was told over the phone that my son’s appointment was actually canceled by the doctor because he decided to work at a different location today. No one from his office ever contacted me for any cancellation.
Simply not professional! Not only we had to drive 45 minutes back, but we had missed all the days that we could have booked with other doctors. Now my son has to leave for an out of town trip for two months, which means he has to delay another two months for an doctor’s appointment.
I remember many doctors who charge the patients for no show or notice less that 24 hours. I do agree with that. But there also should be a law that protects patient’s rights.

I believe this doctor is caring and competant and works hard to keep athletes competing. However, a work-​in appointment kept us waiting 1 hour and 20 minutes. We were ok with that since they were doing us a favor. However, a regularly scheduled appointment kept us waiting 1 hour and 40 minutes. In addition, there was also a billing question that was poorly answered. After paying over $ 300 out of pocket for what we were told would be complete care for the injury, we were charged an additional amount when returning for checkup and xrays for the same injury. Watch for misrepresentation when paying for «complete care»!

I am not really sure how to rate this practice. If my rating was directly associated to Dr. Rechter and his nurses/​techs, I would give a rating of 5 stars.
However, the office staff completely ruins this rating. I have never come into contact with such an unprofessional and RUDE billing assistant as I did at the Orthopaedic Associates in Katy. I was asking a simple question in regards to a charge. I was charged $ 25 for cast supplies to waterproof my daughter’s cast and I paid it out of pocket. I also paid my co-​pay and co-​insurance. When we went to have her cast removed, they asked for an additional $ 30 for what insurance did not cover. I paid the $ 30, but asked about the $ 25 charge that was on the itemized bill that stated it was for cast supplies. The woman who handles billing could not figure out what the difference was between the 2 $ 25 charges for cast supplies, but I was just supposed to take her word that it wasn’t for the same thing. I explained that I wanted to make sure I was not being charged twice for the same «cast supplies». Her response, «That wasn’t billed to you. It was billed to your insurance.» I guess her insurance is free and she doesn’t have to pay premiums or for any services. I then explained to her that if she was billing MY insurance, she was in fact, billing ME. She was rude and would not simply answer what the $ 25 charge was for. She kept saying you’re not paying for that. «You’re paying for that, you’re paying for ‘this’.» I finally got her supervisor on the phone and after explaining the problem to her and the other woman, LAUGHING, I was able to have my question answered in about a minute.
In addition to dealing with this outrageously, rude employee, they have the most RIDICULOUS waiting times. We only had 2 appointments. The first to get the cast, and the second, to have it removed! My daughter’s first appointment was at 10am, we were not called back until 11:45, then we waited another 20 – 30 minutes for the doctor. The waiting room is HUGE and every seat was filled. I assumed since it was an emergency, they probably worked us in and I just dealt with the wait. 3 weeks later, we go in to have her cast removed. Her appointment is at 4pm, we go in early, I assume they might get to us in a more timely manner if we arrive well before her appointment. NOT SO! At 4:45, after a patient who arrived at 4pm was seen by the dr before us, I walk to the woman checking people in and ask when we will be seen since patients who arrived after us are being seen. She sincerely apologies (as I’ve heard her apologize to all the other patients waiting) and says that they’re running behind because the doctor is going out of town next week. I told her it was the same last time we were her and he wasn’t going out of town then. She says, «I know we’re always busy like this.» I offered the suggestion, of possibly NOT booking so many appointments, that it causes you to remain chronically behind by 1 hour. We were finally called back at 4:50 and after scheduling a 4pm appointment, we left the office at 5:30pm!
If you have absolutely nothing to do for the rest of your day, and enjoy sitting in waiting rooms for a couple hours, this is the practice for you! Such a shame that one person and poor scheduling can cast such a dark shadow on a fabulous doctor.