OpenAI launched Health in ChatGPT for US users on July 23, one day after a Florida pastor sued the company claiming the chatbot’s medical advice nearly killed him.
The feature lets users 18 and older connect Apple Health data and medical records from US hospital systems, One Medical, and Function Health. ChatGPT can then compare lab results, summarize changes since a visit, or explore how sleep and activity relate to health routines. Free users get GPT-5.5 Instant while paid users access GPT-5.6 Sol, which OpenAI calls its strongest model for health questions.
The launch expands a product first announced in January and tested with a limited group. Early testing showed over 70% of health conversations happened outside the dedicated health space, so OpenAI rebuilt it as a feature available across all chats. Users decide when ChatGPT can use their health data, and connected information is not used for model training or ad targeting.
The lawsuit filed by Florida pastor Scott Winters alleges ChatGPT-4o downplayed his symptoms of a pulmonary embolism, telling him they were “not something dangerous.” He suffered a pulmonary embolism that nearly killed him. The suit seeks damages and a court order requiring OpenAI to pause ChatGPT Health until independent auditors verify its safety.
OpenAI said ChatGPT “is not a doctor and should never be used as a substitute for medical care, diagnosis or treatment.” The company says the feature was built with input from hundreds of physicians and evaluated against its HealthBench framework.
