A Mouthful of Insurance: Demystifying Dental Billing with Colleen Huff
Release Date: 04/04/2025
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Most dentists assume that paying massive tax bills is just part of success — but that belief could be costing you millions. In this episode, Dr. Len Tau sits down with tax strategist Rachel Michaelov, Founder and CEO of Practice Wealth Partners, to uncover the most common (and costly) tax mistakes dentists make — and how proactive planning can legally reduce tax liability, sometimes all the way to zero. If you’ve ever written a painful check to the IRS and wondered if there’s a better way, this episode is a must-listen. What You’ll Learn Why most dental CPAs are reactive —...
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Dentists Who Ignore AI Search Will Fall Behind
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Marketing Lessons from Casper, Harley, Disney, and... Your Dental Practice
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Getting traffic to your website is not the win. Getting patients into chairs is. Today’s conversation dives into why conversion matters more than clicks and how dental practices can stop wasting their most valuable marketing asset. In this episode, Dr. Len Tau sits down with marketing veteran Chris Knudsen to uncover what dental practices can learn from iconic brands like Casper, Harley-Davidson, Purple Mattress, and Disney. Drawing from decades of experience scaling consumer brands to billion-dollar valuations, Chris explains why most dental websites fail to convert, how AI is reshaping...
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The Dental Fitness Method: Redefining Oral Wellness to Boost Patient Buy-In
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What if case acceptance didn’t feel like “selling” at all? In this first episode of 2026, Dr. Len Tau sits down with Dr. Camesia Matthews to explore a powerful new way to help patients truly understand—and say yes to—their treatment plans. Dr. Matthews introduces her Dental Fitness Method, a five-pillar framework that connects oral health to whole-body wellness. By reframing dentistry through prevention, posture, protection, presentation, and psychology, she shows how dentists can increase patient buy-in, reduce resistance, and empower patients to take ownership of their...
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PPO Power Plays
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The One Move That Changes Everything: How Leaders Break Free from Stuck Thinking
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Most dentists don’t fail because of a lack of clinical skill — they struggle because their mindset keeps them stuck. In this episode, we uncover the one move that unlocks better leadership, stronger team culture, and the confidence to take real action inside your practice. This week, Dr. Len sits down with leadership expert and former Spear Education faculty member Dr. Martin Mendelson — a coach who helps dentists get out of their own way. After hand issues pushed him out of clinical dentistry, Martin discovered the transformational power of mindset. Today, he empowers dentists...
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Is HR sexy? Depends. Do You Want to Suceed?
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Technology can be copied. Marketing can be copied. Even your chairs and handpieces can be copied. The only thing that truly separates you from the office down the street? Your people. This episode will show you how HR becomes your most powerful growth strategy. This week, Dr. Len is joined by HR expert Alan Twigg, president of Bent Erickson & Associates — one of dentistry’s most trusted partners in HR systems, compliance, and team development. HR may not seem like the “sexiest” part of dentistry… but it’s one of the most important. Every patient experience, every production...
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Raving About AI : Redefining the Dental Front Office
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What if your front desk never missed another call again? What if AI could handle the busywork so your team could actually focus on patients? Today’s episode dives into the technology reshaping dentistry faster than anything we’ve seen in the last decade. In this episode, Len dives deep into one of the fastest-growing trends transforming dentistry: conversational AI. He sits down with Dr. Miles Beckett — former medical doctor, serial tech entrepreneur, and CEO/co-founder of Flossy, the AI platform behind one of dentistry’s most advanced AI receptionists, Fiona. Together, they unpack how...
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Consumer Demand + Tech + Affordability = Massive Opportunity
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Cosmetic dentistry is changing faster than ever — and if you’re not paying attention, you’re about to miss the biggest opportunity the profession has seen in decades. In this episode, Dr. Len Tau sits down with one of the leading voices in modern cosmetics, Dr. Brian Harris, to reveal how technology, consumer demand, and affordability are coming together to reshape the future of smile design. Dr. Len welcomes cosmetic dentistry expert Dr. Brian Harris, a Phoenix-based cosmetic dentist known for pioneering patient communication, virtual consults, and modern smile design workflows. Dr....
info_outlineIf insurance headaches are draining your energy and slowing your growth, you’re not alone—and today’s guest has the tools to help you take back control.
In this episode, I sit down with Colleen Huff, an industry veteran with over 30 years of hands-on experience in dental insurance, revenue cycle management, and practice consulting. From her early days at MetLife to managing multi-location practices and now educating thousands through speaking, writing, and online courses—Colleen knows what it takes to turn insurance chaos into clarity.
Her new book, A Mouthful of Insurance, is already making waves, and in this conversation, we dig into exactly why.
We cover:
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The biggest insurance struggles dental practices are facing in 2025
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Why practices need more than just an insurance coordinator—they need systems
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The truth about outsourcing verifications and what to look for in a partner
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How technology (like AI and practice management integrations) is changing the insurance game
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How to avoid common billing mistakes that can trigger audits or worse
The role of accurate coding, documentation, and clear patient communication -
Why every team member—from front desk to back office—should understand the insurance landscape
Whether you're in-network, out-of-network, or somewhere in between, Colleen’s insights will help you make smarter financial decisions and run a more efficient, profitable practice.
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Key Takeaways
00:45 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
03:28 Understanding Dental Insurance Consulting
06:12 Challenges in Dental Practices
10:13 The Role of Team in Insurance Management
11:45 Outsourcing Insurance Verification Services
16:31 Technology in Dental Practices
18:00 AI and Its Impact on Insurance Claims
21:25 Navigating Insurance Payments and Estimates
23:40 The Importance of Accurate Billing Practices
27:48 Strategies for Increasing UCR Rates
28:28 The Debate on Pre-Authorizations
30:44 Overview of Colleen's Book
31:51 Lightning Round Q&A
36:29 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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Connect with Colleen
🌐 Website: https://colleenhuff.com
📧 Email: colleen@dentalinsurancecoach.com
📱 Social Media:
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Facebook: @DentalInsuranceCoach
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LinkedIn: Colleen Huff on LinkedIn
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Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com.
This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here.
This podcast is sponsored by The Doc Sites, the leading provider of websites and online marketing for dentists. Find out more here.
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