Change:healthcare today announced the beta launch of a Twitter tool that will allow consumers to tweet questions about health conditions, drugs and prices and receive a fast, secure response.

The tool, called AskCH, lets consumers find the generic version of a brand name drug, shop for the best price on that drug in their region, and get general information on health conditions and medications.

"It's the first time ever that consumers can use an existing social media application to quickly discover – wherever they are – how they can save money on their health care," said change:healthcare CEO Christopher Parks in a statement.

Change:healthcare, founded in 2006, provides tools for analyzing health care spending, managing bills, tracking providers, comparing drug and doctor costs, and ultimately saving money.

To use AskCH, users need to "follow" @askch on their Twitter account. Users then ask questions using a Twitter direct message to receive a confidential reply. In the beta version, users can ask five questions:

• What is (health issue)
• What is (drug name)
• Cost of (drug name) near (zip code)
• Generic for (drug name)
• Generic discounts for (drug name) near (zip code)

As users provide feedback about the tool, via the @askch page, the types of information and questions will be expanded. For more information, visit the AskCH page.