Meet the Board - Julie Baak

Julie Baak is an expert in Rheumatology Practice Management and a nationally recognized leader in resolving drug access issues. She has worked with the Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) and against them, so she knows both sides of the specialty drug spend. She is an accomplished speaker and advocate, holds direct contracts to several large employers for infusion drugs, she continues to be a sought-out speaker at National Rheumatology advocacy meetings and is a published author on access to care. She has testified to the Missouri Senate Insurance Committee on patient access to care in her home state. She has received a "change maker" award from American College of Rheumatology (ACR), has served as the chair of the Payer Committee at the National Org of Rheum Management (NORM) and currently serves on the Coalition State Rheum Org (CRSO) Payer Response Team. Julie Baak has extensive experience in many sectors including banking, finance, and healthcare. In 2015 she built a large Rheumatology practice from the ground up and delivers a patient experience that is nationally recognized. Her advocacy efforts have been highlighted locally and nationally with advocacy orgs and the media, as she will do whatever it takes to serve patients and provide access to care. She spoke at the Healthcare Advocate Summit in both 2023 and in 2024. Her talk this year along with advocacy partner Nilsa Cruz, was titled: Social Media is the New Prior Authorization'. Julie was awarded the Private Practice Advocate of the Year Award for 2024. She has worked directly with legendary Wendell Potter and Mark Cuban on advocacy efforts. In the climate we find ourselves in with the Payer mandates that make things extraordinarily difficult to navigate, she takes them on, one patient at a time, with grace and success. She can be reached at (314) 280-3687 or julie@drbaak.com

My social media handles are excessive, but quite effective. We have one video on TikTok with over 1 million views and many with hundreds of thousands. This is a link to all my socials: https://linktr.ee/priorauth