OpenAI has introduced a separate Health experience in ChatGPT for eligible users in the United States, enabling them to connect Apple Health and supported medical records. The feature is designed to help people understand their health information and review connected data, with personal context informing responses. OpenAI says the rollout followed feedback from early testers, who cited the difficulty of managing health information spread across apps and portals, as well as devices.
Users choose which sources to connect and grant access to their information. Once connected, ChatGPT may use relevant Health information when responding without asking permission each time; additional permission is required for sensitive actions, such as sharing a training plan with another person. Supported records and Apple Health data are read-only: ChatGPT can use them to inform responses and updates but cannot change the underlying records. The feature can help users compare information or explore patterns, but OpenAI says it is intended to support, not replace, medical care and is not designed for diagnosis or treatment.
OpenAI has also enhanced the models that power health conversations. The GPT-5.5 Instant model, available to all users, has improved the platform’s ability to recognize urgent care needs and clarify complex information. The newer GPT-5.6 Sol model, available to paid subscribers, further strengthens reasoning and communication around complex health scenarios. Both models have been evaluated with input from hundreds of physicians worldwide, with a focus on accuracy and safety, while accounting for context. OpenAI says the latest model outperformed its predecessor on challenging health tasks, while continuing to caution that ChatGPT cannot replace qualified medical advice.
OpenAI says connected medical-record and Apple Health information, as well as conversations that use it, are not used to train its foundation models or target advertising. ChatGPT conversations are encrypted in transit and at rest, with additional protections for information connected through Health. Users can disconnect a source; OpenAI says synced data from it is deleted from its systems within 30 days. Health has a separate privacy notice, and the company says memory features are not created directly from connected health records or Apple Health data.
The Health feature is available on the web and iOS to logged-in U.S. users aged 18 and older on the Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans. Users can review connected information and trends in a dedicated Health experience. Apple Health may also include information synced from compatible wearables and third-party health apps when sharing is enabled. Connected medical records and Apple Health data are not available for clinical use through the product, which OpenAI says is not intended for HIPAA-covered organizations.
That distinction is relevant to wider regulatory debate over generative AI in healthcare. An FDA discussion paper on generative-AI-enabled medical devices is exploratory, not a binding rule or guidance, and addresses concerns including open-ended responses and systems that evolve or take actions. The American Hospital Association’s October 19, 2026, recommendations called for a flexible, risk-based approach and clearer distinctions between devices that direct action through information and those that take action. The American Medical Association, in an October 23 policy update, cautioned that physician supervision should not be presumed to mitigate device risk, underscoring the importance of product-level evaluation and monitoring.
Digital health tools are gaining prominence as technology companies develop ways to bring information from multiple services into a single experience. For users, connected data may make it easier to discuss personal health context, but it can also be incomplete or out of date. OpenAI’s stated limits on diagnosis and treatment reflect the distinction between a consumer tool for organizing and discussing information and a clinical system; users should discuss health concerns and consequential decisions with qualified medical professionals.
