Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, asked at a congressional hearing today why she hasn’t personally tried to enroll in the federal exchange, claimed that she wasn’t eligible. Colorado Republican congressman Cory Gardner countered that she could opt out of her federally provided employer coverage, which is correct. Any American, in fact, is eligible for the exchange, as Healthcare.gov helpfully explains:

Most people will be eligible for health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

To be eligible for health coverage through the Marketplace, you:

must live in the United States
must be a U.S. citizen or national (or be lawfully present)
can’t be currently incarcerated
Americans who have access to “affordable” coverage through their employers (federal-employee plans easily count) cannot receive subsidies on the exchange, but Sebelius’s income would render her ineligible for subsidies anyway, regardless of her employer coverage.

Gardner’s questioning on the topic was met with a round of applause.

VIDEO HERE