It's up to an employer to make a quality health plan; it's up to employees to understand it and take full advantage of benefits offered.

In many cases, becoming more knowledgeable about a health plan could save employees thousands. And there are a lot of places to look for savings.

Readers are urged to compare costs between an employer plan and the healthcare exchanges. Employees are reminded to make a health savings account whenever possible.

The basics of FSA creation, and the financial benefits of doing so, are also examined. The following article has great advice for savvy employees and for the HR teams who make their healthcare benefits policies.

Read full article at Forbes.