ChatGPT gets Health feature - Connects to Apple Health & Medical Records
Published: July 23, 2026 | Source: OpenAI
BREAKING - OpenAI has launched "Health in ChatGPT", a feature that lets US users securely connect their Apple Health data and medical records directly to ChatGPT. The AI can then help you understand lab results, track changes in your health, prepare for doctor visits, and give you personalised health insights - all while keeping your data private.
What happened?
On July 23, 2026, OpenAI announced "Health in ChatGPT" - rolling out to US users on web and iOS. Every week, more than 300 million people ask ChatGPT health-related questions. This new feature lets ChatGPT answer those questions using YOUR actual health data, not just general knowledge.
You can connect:
✅ Apple Health - activity, sleep, workouts, vitals
✅ Medical records from US hospital systems
✅ One Medical and Function Health accounts
✅ Data from wearables and fitness apps (through Apple Health)
What can ChatGPT Health do?
Once you connect your data, ChatGPT can help with:
🔬 Understand lab results - Compare new results with previous tests, explain what they mean in simple language
📅 Prepare for doctor visits - Summarise your recent health changes, suggest questions to ask
💊 Track medications - Keep track of what you are taking and when things change
😴 Connect health with daily life - See how sleep, activity, and workouts relate to your routine
🍎 Personalised advice - Get meal plans that consider your dietary restrictions, or exercise suggestions that account for a recent injury
For example, if you are planning meals, ChatGPT can automatically consider a food allergy you have listed. If you recently injured your knee, it can suggest lower-impact activities. Earlier testing showed that over 70% of health conversations happened naturally during regular chats - not in a separate health section - so OpenAI integrated it directly into ChatGPT.
Privacy & Safety - Your data stays yours
OpenAI has put strong privacy protections in place:
🔒 Your health data is NOT used for AI training - Connected medical records, Apple Health data, and conversations using them are completely excluded from model training
🎯 No targeted ads - Your health information will never be used for advertising
🧠 You control access - ChatGPT asks permission before using your health data. You can approve once, always allow, or change anytime in Settings
🗑️ You can disconnect anytime - Remove connected accounts whenever you want. Synced data is deleted within 30 days
🔐 Extra encryption - Health information receives additional encryption beyond standard ChatGPT protections
⚠️ Additional safeguards - Before ChatGPT shares health info through other plugins (like sending a workout plan), extra checks confirm it matches your request
The AI models powering Health
OpenAI has been working with hundreds of physicians worldwide to improve how ChatGPT handles health conversations:
GPT-5.5 Instant (Free for all users) - Made meaningful gains in recognising when urgent care may be needed, asking for relevant context, explaining uncertainty, and making complex information easy to understand. On health evaluations, it performed at a level comparable to frontier Thinking models.
GPT-5.6 Sol (Paid users) - OpenAI's strongest model for health yet. Better at reasoning across complex details, clear communication, and careful judgment. Can explain a doctor's visit note in plain language, understand how lab results changed over time, and help prepare questions for follow-up appointments.
HealthBench Professional - Every GPT-5.6 model outperformed GPT-5.5 on this rigorous health evaluation benchmark that tests accuracy, safety, communication, context awareness, and appropriate escalation.
How to use Health in ChatGPT
Step 1: Open Health from the sidebar or More menu in ChatGPT
Step 2: Select "Get started" and follow the setup flow
Step 3: Connect Apple Health, medical records, One Medical, or Function Health
Step 4: Review and update your conditions, medications, and family history
Step 5: Start asking health questions anywhere in ChatGPT. Use @Health to explicitly include health context
Available to: Logged-in ChatGPT users 18 and older in the US
Plans: Free, Go, Plus, and Pro
Platform: Web and iOS (Android coming later)
Not available: Codex
Important - What ChatGPT Health is NOT
OpenAI is clear that ChatGPT does NOT replace medical professionals:
⚠️ ChatGPT can still make mistakes
⚠️ Always verify important information with your doctor
⚠️ ChatGPT cannot provide medical diagnosis or treatment
⚠️ For emergencies, call your doctor or 911
The goal is to help you feel more informed, ask better questions, and take a more active role in your health - while supporting, not replacing, the care you receive from medical professionals.
What this means for healthcare
With 300 million weekly users already turning to ChatGPT for health questions, this feature could fundamentally change how people interact with their own health data. Instead of digging through scattered patient portals, medical records, apps, and wearables, users can now get a unified, AI-powered view of their health - explained in plain language.
OpenAI has also published a companion article on improving health intelligence in ChatGPT detailing their work with physicians to develop realistic health scenarios and evaluation rubrics.
Quick Summary
Source: OpenAI Official Blog - Launching Health in ChatGPT | Improving Health Intelligence in ChatGPT
VilfinTV Tech Desk - July 23, 2026