Health coaching has emerged as a $7 billion service market, with a strong growth outlook. There are now an estimated 128,000 health coaches and health educators that advise and motivate clients to change bad lifestyle habits and to manage chronic conditions such as diabetes.
And, Americans do need help. Eighty-six percent of the nation’s $3.5 trillion annual health care expenditures are for people with chronic and mental health conditions. These costs can be reduced via health coaching of employees and plan members, on their lifestyles, eliminating bad habits, better nutrition, exercise, and managing their chronic conditions.
This is an emerging discipline that will be getting more attention due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers and employers are taking their health more seriously, and will be more proactive.
Here are the top six things to know about this emerging healthcare service:
- Marketdata estimates that the U.S. health coaching market was worth $7.1 billion in 2020. The market is forecast to grow at a 2.7% pace this year and 5.4% per year thereafter, reaching $8.87 billion by 2025, with 137,000 coaches practicing.
- There are an estimated 128,000 U.S. health coaches in the U.S., with average yearly salaries of $55,220. Their numbers have grown 9% per year from 2006 to 2019. There is also interest in certification by healthcare pros such as nurses, psychologists, social workers, chiropractors, nutritionists, massage therapists, and MDs.
- 2020 was a mixed bag for this market, as the pandemic and recession resulted in some lay-offs of health coaches. However, most have pivoted to virtual meetings and telehealth, which enables coaches to reach more patients.
- The major development for this market of late was the creation of CPT billing codes for health coaching, which are now in the preliminary stages. Full Category 1 codes are coming in about two years, at which time the market should post much stronger growth.
- According to some surveys, 60% of Americans want health coaching but 80% of them have never had it offered to them. Most coaching is provided by phone, but apps and online service are emerging too.
- The top three users of health coaching are: 1) consumers, 2) physician offices and large healthcare organizations, and 3) corporate wellness programs.
To learn more about this industry, see Marketdata's new report, The U.S. Health Coaching Market, which covers the following: market definition—types of health coaches, what they do, where they work, their number, annual salaries, market structure, market size: 2006-2025 forecast, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, profiles of the 8 major certification organizations, profiles of insurance company users (Aetna, Cigna, Humana, United Health Group), MD and Veterans Administration programs, demand factors and usage by consumers, findings of telephone interviews with key market influencers, list of the top health coaching apps, and the industry’s major issues, obstacles and growth drivers.
UPDATE: For the most current information, please check out our newly published article on the health coaching market.
About the Author: John LaRosa is the President of Marketdata LLC and is the author of 100+ industry and market studies. His research appears in top media outlets including ABC, CNN, Fox, Forbes, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and a variety of trade journals.
