OpenAI launches ChatGPT Health as a dedicated, privacy-focused health assistant

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Health, a dedicated experience inside ChatGPT for health and wellness conversations, separate from regular chats.1 2 5

The company says over 230 million people per week already ask health and wellness questions on ChatGPT, which underpins the decision to create a specialized health product.1 2 3 4

ChatGPT Health allows users to optionally connect medical records and wellness apps such as Apple Health, Function, MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, AllTrails, Instacart, and Peloton to get personalized insights on labs, nutrition, workouts, and more.1 2 3 4 5

Health conversations are isolated and encrypted, with additional data protections beyond standard ChatGPT, including sandboxing, purpose-built encryption, and compartmentalization of health data.2 3 4 5

OpenAI states that health conversations are excluded from model training by default, and users can disconnect apps and revoke data access at any time via settings.1 2 3 5

The company emphasizes ChatGPT Health is designed to support, not replace, medical care and is not intended for diagnosis or treatment, as reflected in its terms of service and public statements.1 2 3

The underlying model for ChatGPT Health has been evaluated against clinical standards using HealthBench, OpenAI’s health-specific benchmark focused on safety, clarity, and escalation of care.2

Typical use cases include explaining lab results in plain language, preparing questions for doctor visits, interpreting data from wearables, summarizing care instructions, and getting advice on diet, exercise, and insurance tradeoffs.1 2 3 4 5

OpenAI has been building toward this move for about two years, working with hundreds of physicians worldwide and hiring healthcare-focused leaders such as Nate Gross and a dedicated health AI lead, Karan Singhal.3 4

ChatGPT Health is initially rolling out to a limited cohort via waitlist, with broader availability on web and iOS “in the coming weeks” for Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users outside the EEA, Switzerland, and the U.K.; some EHR integrations and apps are U.S.-only.2 3 4

OpenAI positions ChatGPT Health as part of a broader strategy to create vertical-specific experiences (e.g., education, shopping, health) and to become a central hub for personal health data in competition with other Big Tech players like Google.3

OpenAI notes that ChatGPT Health is not described as HIPAA compliant, since many consumer health apps are outside HIPAA’s scope, but highlights layered protections, MFA options, and stricter internal access controls for sensitive health data.3