Benjamin Tuinei
Dental Insurance Strategist | Board Advisor, Elite Dental Force
Elite Dental Force, Inc.
Benjamin “Ben” Tuinei is regarded as one of the leading experts in dental insurance strategy and PPO fee negotiation in the United States. With nearly twenty years of experience, he has built a national reputation for helping practices protect their financial stability, influence reimbursement outcomes, and navigate complex payor environments with confidence. His work has reshaped how dental organizations think about insurance relationships, pricing leverage, and revenue cycle strategy in a system that has historically favored the carrier.
Ben entered the field in 2007 as an insurance administrator for a multi location dental group in Phoenix, Arizona. Within months, he reengineered the billing and insurance systems, increased collections from 65 percent to 98 percent, and generated nearly one million dollars in additional annual revenue. That success revealed a larger industry problem. Dentistry had clinical expertise, but it lacked structured negotiation models and reimbursement leadership. Ben committed his career to filling that void and creating a repeatable, data based approach to negotiating with insurance companies.
He went on to launch Optimum Dental Solutions, which later evolved into Veritas Dental Resources, where he now serves as Founder and President. Veritas supports solo practices, group practices, and DSOs across the country and remains one of the industry’s most recognized authorities on PPO negotiation, reimbursement intelligence, and insurance optimization strategy. Ben’s proprietary framework, known as the 7 Steps of Negotiation, has guided more than nine thousand practices and secured over five billion dollars in improved reimbursements. His negotiation models are now referenced as a standard approach for organizations seeking to regain leverage and protect the financial health of their practices.
Ben’s work extends beyond negotiation and into the broader architecture of dental revenue systems. He has helped practices restructure contract portfolios, evaluate participation strategy, develop pricing architecture, improve payer mix, and build long term financial plans anchored in reimbursement predictability. His guidance has influenced national DSOs, regional group practices, and private offices seeking to operate with the same level of discipline seen in other healthcare sectors.
Today, Ben serves as a Board Advisor to Elite Dental Force. In this role, he provides leadership on payer relations, reimbursement intelligence, and revenue cycle strategy while helping align the EDiFi AI platform with real world payor behavior. His expertise shapes clean claim workflows, negotiation logic, payer mapping, eligibility validation, and insurance decision frameworks that reflect what actually happens inside dental offices and payer systems. His contribution strengthens Elite Dental Force’s mission to achieve clean claims on the first submission and create operational clarity in practices nationwide.
Ben is also a respected educator and speaker, presenting at national conferences, state associations, dental schools, and continuing education programs. He co hosts the Navigating Dental Insurance Podcast, where he teaches practical strategies for improving reimbursement integrity, reducing preventable write offs, and building financial resilience in a volatile insurance landscape. His voice has become a trusted resource for dentists who want to advocate for the value of their work without compromising clinical standards.
He currently serves on multiple advisory boards including The Dental Business School, Business Ownership Mentoring of America, The Dental Leadership Academy, Utah Dental United, and Group Practice Summit. He also advises dental CPA firms, consultants, and industry service organizations on reimbursement modeling, contract risk, and market behavior analysis. His leadership continues to influence how dental organizations prepare for the future, negotiate with clarity, and build financial systems that protect both patients and providers.
ACore Skills and Areas of Expertise
PPO Fee Negotiation
Strategic contract negotiation with measurable reimbursement improvement.
Insurance Driven Revenue Cycle Strategy
Building systems that strengthen collections, increase leverage, and protect margins.
Reimbursement Intelligence and Payor Behavior Analysis
Interpreting plan structures, fee schedules, and contract models to improve outcomes.
Credentialing and Contract Management
Evaluating participation decisions and managing plan alignment across providers and locations.
Data Based Negotiation Systems
Developing predictable, repeatable negotiation frameworks practices can apply at scale.
Clean Claim Workflow Structuring
Improving approval outcomes by aligning documentation, coding, and payer expectations.Practice Profitability Alignment
Ensuring insurance decisions support clinical excellence rather than restrict it.
Professional Summary – Benjamin Tuinei
Benjamin “Ben” Tuinei is a leading authority in dental insurance strategy and PPO fee negotiation, known for reshaping how practices interact with payors and protect their financial stability. With nearly two decades of national experience, he has established a proven record of helping dental organizations improve reimbursement outcomes, strengthen revenue cycle systems, and negotiate contracts with confidence rather than concession. His work is grounded in data, negotiation science, and a deep understanding of how insurance behavior influences the patient experience, operational efficiency, and long-term profitability. As a Board Advisor to Elite Dental Force, Ben brings a strategic perspective that aligns reimbursement integrity with real world clinical workflows and AI supported infrastructure. His approach reflects a commitment to clarity, leverage, and financial leadership in a healthcare environment that demands both resilience and strategy.