At the time of the Film Forum premiere, "The New York Times"' Vincent Canby wrote: ""HealtH" is, I suppose, a mess, but it is a glorious one in the recognizable manner of a major film maker who sometimes gets carried away—by his subject, by his own enthusiasms and those of his actors, and by the collaborative creative process he loves. As do so many of his films, "HealtH" gives one the feeling of being on a nonstop party with the people who made it." He added that it "is no masterpiece, but it is one of the most appealing entertainments that Mr. Altman has ever put together". In a later article, he declared: ""HealtH" deserves to be seen by anyone interested in the career of this most eccentric and unpredictable of contemporary American film directors."