Does OpenAI Sign a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement?

By BAA Generator Editorial  ·  Published Apr 19, 2026  ·  Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026  ·  5 min read

Which OpenAI Products Support HIPAA BAAs?

The OpenAI API and HIPAA Compliance

Healthcare organizations building AI-powered applications on the OpenAI API — such as clinical documentation tools, patient communication bots, or diagnostic support systems — can do so with HIPAA compliance by executing a BAA with OpenAI.

The OpenAI API Privacy Addendum covers Business Associate Agreement provisions for healthcare use cases. To activate:

• Navigate to your OpenAI platform account settings
• Locate the Privacy Addendum or BAA section in your organization's legal agreements
• Review and accept the addendum
• Retain documentation of acceptance for your HIPAA compliance records

Note that even with a BAA in place, HIPAA compliance is a shared responsibility. Your application must implement appropriate access controls, audit logging, and data handling procedures. OpenAI's BAA covers OpenAI's handling of the data — it does not make your application automatically HIPAA compliant.

Why ChatGPT Plus Is Not HIPAA Eligible

A common mistake in healthcare: a clinician or administrator subscribes to ChatGPT Plus and uses it to process patient notes or clinical information, believing that because it is a paid service, it is more secure.

This is incorrect. ChatGPT Plus is a consumer product. OpenAI's terms for consumer products do not include BAA provisions, and the data handling, model training, and retention policies for consumer ChatGPT are different from the API and Enterprise offerings.

If PHI enters ChatGPT Plus — even inadvertently — this constitutes a HIPAA violation. No amount of internal HIPAA policy at your organization changes this, because the violation lies in the absence of a BAA with OpenAI.

Building HIPAA-Compliant Healthcare AI with OpenAI

For healthcare technology companies and health systems building AI-powered products on OpenAI, the correct architecture involves:

• Using the OpenAI API (not consumer ChatGPT) as the AI layer
• Executing OpenAI's Privacy Addendum/BAA before processing any PHI
• Implementing PHI de-identification where possible before sending data to the API
• Building audit logging for all PHI interactions with the AI system
• Executing BAAs with your infrastructure vendors (cloud hosting, databases) as well
• Conducting a full HIPAA Security Risk Analysis for the application

Frequently Asked Questions

Does OpenAI sign a HIPAA BAA?

Yes — for API customers and ChatGPT Enterprise. Consumer ChatGPT (Free, Plus, Team) is not covered. Accept OpenAI's Privacy Addendum through API settings or contact enterprise sales for ChatGPT Enterprise BAA.

Can I use ChatGPT for healthcare if I have a BAA?

Only if you are using the OpenAI API or ChatGPT Enterprise with an executed BAA. Standard consumer ChatGPT — including Plus — cannot be used with PHI under any circumstances.

Is ChatGPT Plus HIPAA compliant?

No — ChatGPT Plus is a consumer product and OpenAI does not offer a BAA for it. Do not use ChatGPT Plus with patient data.

How do I get a HIPAA BAA from OpenAI?

For API access, accept the Privacy Addendum in your OpenAI platform settings. For ChatGPT Enterprise, contact OpenAI's enterprise sales team. Always verify current process at openai.com.

For a broader look at which vendors sign HIPAA BAAs, see our vendor BAA lookup guide.