OpenAI's Health ChatGPT has reached a staggering 300 million weekly queries from users seeking health information across the United States. The service has relaunched, expanding availability to all U.S. users aged 18 and over, across free and paid plans.
Initially piloted in January, the feature faced early challenges and was quietly pulled back for a complete overhaul. This fresh launch not only broadens the user base but also signals AI’s growing involvement in personal healthcare decision-making.
Now incorporated into every conversation, the Health feature removes previous barriers that discouraged users from switching to a special health section. Over 70% of early testers had asked health questions outside the designated area because it was inconvenient to switch. Users can still manage connected health data and review past health chats in a distinct Health tab.
Connections with Apple Health, supported medical record apps, and other wellness platforms allow ChatGPT to analyze trends across lab results, sleep, activity, and workouts. OpenAI promotes this capability as facilitating “more informed, personalized conversations” that blend AI insight with everyday health management.
OpenAI guarantees that connected health data won’t feed into model training or advertising campaigns, addressing privacy concerns around sensitive medical information.
The quality of health advice varies between free and paid tiers. Free users access GPT-5.5 Instant, which scores 53.2% on OpenAI’s HealthBench Professional benchmark, while subscribers get GPT-5.6 Sol with a higher score of 88%. Both outperform physician-crafted answers on this benchmark, though real-world clinical application may differ.
Currently, the Health feature is not available in Europe due to stricter data privacy laws and classification risks under the EU AI Act. This highlights regulatory hurdles facing AI healthcare tools across jurisdictions.
This rollout illustrates the tension between accessible AI-powered healthcare and the limits of free models, as well as the ongoing balance between data privacy and personalized assistance.
