National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)

The National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) is a US-based nonprofit credentialing organization established in 2012. It sets professional standards for health and wellness coaching and administers the board certification examination that leads to the NBC-HWC credential. In 2016 it partnered with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) to develop and administer that exam.

The NBC-HWC (National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach) is the board certification issued by NBHWC. Earning it requires completing an NBHWC-approved training program, documenting at least 75 coaching sessions (50 completed post-training), holding an associate degree or equivalent work experience, and passing the NBHWC board examination. As of NBHWC's 2025 Annual Survey Report, 11,490 coaches hold the credential.

The NBC-HWC is specific to health and wellness coaching and is positioned within the US healthcare system, with CPT codes from the AMA and a board exam developed with NBME. The ICF credential covers all coaching specialties and is globally recognized across corporate, executive, and life coaching contexts. The two are complementary. Some coaches hold both, which signals competency in health coaching specifically and in professional coaching broadly.

An Approved Training Program (ATP) is a coach training school or program that has met NBHWC's independent training and education standards. Completing an ATP is required before sitting the NBC-HWC board exam. The NBHWC maintains a public directory of all approved programs at nbhwc.org. Programs include Wellcoaches, Precision Nutrition Level 2, the Institute for Life Coach Training, and Coach Training EDU, among dozens of others. A smaller subset, including Wellcoaches and Coach Training EDU, also holds ICF accreditation, so a coach can earn both credentials from one school instead of training twice.

The exam is based on a Job Task Analysis developed in 2014 and 2015 that defines the competency domains required for safe and effective health coaching. It covers the coaching structure, coaching process (relationship, communication, and techniques), coaching ethics, and health and wellness knowledge. The exam is administered by Prometric testing centers across the United States and updated periodically to reflect the evolving field.

Since 2016, NBHWC has partnered with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), the organization responsible for developing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and many other health profession certifying exams. NBME provides the psychometric expertise and examination infrastructure for the NBC-HWC board exam, applying the same rigorous exam development standards used in medical licensing.

Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes are used by healthcare providers to bill insurance companies for services. In 2019, the AMA granted Category III CPT codes for health and wellness coaching, and Category I codes were presented in 2023. CMS has temporarily approved telehealth coaching codes. These codes create a pathway for NBC-HWC coaches working within healthcare systems to have their services reimbursed by health plans, making health coaching more accessible to patients.

NBC-HWC coaches must recertify every three years by completing 36 hours of continuing education from NBHWC-approved providers. NBHWC maintains a CE directory at nbhwc.org. Continuing education requirements were introduced in 2021 and are designed to keep coaches current with evolving evidence and standards in health and wellness coaching.

It tells you the coach completed an independently approved training program, documented a minimum number of real client sessions before sitting the exam, and passed a board examination developed with NBME. It verifies a documented competency floor, not coaching excellence or personal fit. An NBC-HWC is trained in behavior change and health coaching specifically, not in general life coaching or executive coaching. The credential matters most when you are working on health-related goals, lifestyle change, or chronic disease management.

Ask which NBHWC-approved training program they completed and when. Ask how many total coaching sessions they have logged since certification and what the focus of most of those sessions was. Ask whether they have worked with clients dealing with goals similar to yours. The NBC-HWC credential covers the general field of health and wellness coaching, so specialty matters. A coach whose experience is primarily in weight management may not be the best fit for someone managing a chronic condition, and vice versa.

Yes. Eligible veterans may be able to have NBC-HWC exam preparation and certification costs reimbursed under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. NBHWC maintains specific guidance on the VA education benefit process at nbhwc.org/post-9-11-gi-bill-exam-reimbursement/. This makes the NBC-HWC one of the few coaching credentials with a formal veterans' benefit pathway.

NBHWC holds an official Taxonomy Code from the National Uniform Claim Committee (NUCC), the body that standardizes healthcare provider classification in the United States. The taxonomy code classifies NBC-HWC coaches as a recognized provider type in US healthcare billing and credentialing systems, which matters for coaches working within hospital systems, integrated health practices, or any organization that processes electronic insurance claims. It enables formal identification of NBC-HWC coaches as distinct healthcare providers within the US system.