Exclusive: 40 million Americans turn to ChatGPT for health care

Data: OpenAI; Chart: Axios VisualsMore than 40 million Americans turn to ChatGPT daily for health information, according to a report OpenAI has shared exclusively with AxiosWhy it matters: Americans are turning to AI tools to navigate the notoriously complex and opaque U.S. health care system.The big picture: Patients see ChatGPT as an "ally" in navigating their health care, according to analysis of anonymized interactions with ChatGPT and a survey of ChatGPT users by the AI-powered tool Knit.Users turn to ChatGPT to decode medical bills, spot overcharges, appeal insurance denials, and when access to doctors is limited, some even use it to self-diagnose or manage their care.By the numbers: More than 5% of all ChatGPT messages globally are about health care. OpenAI found that users ask 1.6 to 1.9 million health insurance questions per week for guidance comparing plans, handling claims and billing and other coverage queries. In underserved rural communities, OpenAI says users send an average of nearly 600,000 health care-related messages every week. Seven in 10 health care conversations in ChatGPT happen outside of normal clinic hours.Zoom in: Patients can enter symptoms, prior advice from doctors, and context around their health-care issues and ChatGPT can deliver warnings on the severity of certain conditions. When care isn't available, this can help patients decide if they should wait for appointments or if they need to seek emergency care. "Reliability improves when answers are grounded in the right patient-specific context such as insurance plan documents, clinical instructions, and health care portal data," OpenAI says in the report. Reality check: ChatGPT can give wrong and potentially dangerous advice, especially in conversations around mental health.OpenAI currently faces multiple lawsuits from people who say loved ones harmed or killed themselves after interacting with the technology.States have enacted new laws focused on use of AI-enabled chatbots, banning apps or services from offering mental health and therapeutic decision-making.The intrigue: Multiple viral stories highlight how people have uploaded itemized bills to AI for analysis, uncovering errors like duplicate charges, improper coding, or violations of Medicare rules.Behind the scenes: OpenAI says it's working to strengthen how ChatGPT responds in health contexts. The company is continuing to evaluate models to reduce harmful or misleading responses, and work with clinicians to identify risks and improve.GPT-5 models are more likely to ask follow-up questions from the user, browse the internet for the latest research, use hedging language, and direct users to professional evaluation when needed, per the company.💭 Our thought bubble: The end of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies could accelerate this quiet shift as uninsured and underinsured patients lean on chatbots for health care guidance.What we're watching: How accuracy, liability, and access to patient data evolve as more Americans rely on AI for medical guidance without a doctor in the loop.