Amazon announced Tuesday that it is expanding access to its healthcare AI assistant to both its website and mobile app. The tool, called Health AI, had previously been available only through the app of One Medical, the healthcare provider Amazon acquired for $3.9 billion in 2023.

 

Health AI is designed to help users with a range of health-related tasks, including answering medical questions, explaining health records, renewing prescriptions, and scheduling appointments. According to Amazon, the assistant is available to anyone — users do not need to be Amazon Prime subscribers or One Medical members to access it.

 

While the assistant can respond to general health questions without accessing personal medical data, Amazon says Health AI is built to function as a more personalized healthcare companion. With user permission, it can provide tailored guidance and take actions such as connecting patients with healthcare professionals or recommended treatments.

 

However, experts have warned about potential risks tied to sharing sensitive health information with AI systems, noting that some companies may use user conversations to train their models.

 

Amazon says its Health AI models are trained using abstracted patterns rather than identifiable personal data. For example, if multiple users ask about medication interactions, those patterns may help improve responses while keeping patient identities private.

 

The company also emphasized that all interactions with Health AI occur within a HIPAA-compliant environment, protected by encryption and strict access controls. Amazon said only authorized staff — such as personnel responsible for service maintenance, clinical quality assurance, or technical support — can access conversation data when necessary.

 

With a user’s consent, Health AI can also retrieve medical information through the Health Information Exchange, a nationwide secure network used to share patient records. This allows the assistant to interpret lab results, diagnoses, and other records to provide more personalized explanations about symptoms or medications.

 

If professional care is needed, Health AI can connect users with a provider from One Medical. In the U.S., Prime members can receive up to five free direct-message consultations with a One Medical provider for more than 30 common conditions, including cold and flu, allergies, acid reflux, pink eye, UTIs, erectile dysfunction, skin care concerns, and hair loss. Non-Prime users can still access providers through Amazon’s pay-per-visit option.

 

Users can sign up for the assistant through the Amazon Health page. As access rolls out more broadly, Amazon will notify users via email when Health AI becomes available to them.

 

Once activated, users can log in to their Amazon Health profile and begin chatting with Health AI on Amazon’s website or in the Amazon app. They can ask questions such as, “Can you explain my recent cholesterol results?” or “I have congestion and a sore throat — what should I do?”

 

Amazon’s move comes as major AI companies increasingly target the healthcare sector. In January, OpenAI launched a health-focused version of ChatGPT designed to answer medical questions. Soon after, Anthropic introduced its own healthcare-oriented AI offering, Claude for Healthcare.