As health care legislation battles its way through Congress and health-care costs continue to rise, you can't help but feel you have little control over your health coverage. That is, unless you take full advantage of open enrollment season.

Open enrollment occurs each year, typically between October and early December, when employees can review – and possibly change – their health insurance and save money with gym reimbursements and other wellness programs. During this time, many employees can also register for transit subsidies and review their retirement plans.

Making the right decisions can save employees hundreds or thousands of dollars, says Tracey Baker, a certified financial planner at CJM Wealth Advisors, a financial planning firm in Fairfax, Va. That's especially important considering the household budget restraints of the past year. Yet, 60% of employees don't make an active decision about their benefits during open enrollment, according to benefits consultant Hewitt Associates.