GAO Must Analyze Costs and Screening Habits for Esophageal Cancer Among Federal Employees

The Gerald E. Connolly Esophageal Cancer Awareness Act of 2025 is tackling a serious, growing health problem: esophageal cancer. This bill isn't about funding new treatments yet; it’s about shining a very bright spotlight on the issue, which Congress notes is increasing over 700% in recent decades and kills someone every 36 minutes, often because it’s caught too late (SEC. 2).

The Health Threat That’s Hitting Younger People

The core finding driving this bill is sobering: esophageal cancer is aggressive, has a poor five-year survival rate (about 20%), and is now tripling in incidence among younger populations (SEC. 2). The bill emphasizes that early detection of the precursor condition, Barrett's esophagus, is key to boosting survival rates, often treatable with simple outpatient procedures. If you’re a man, over 50, a smoker, or deal with chronic acid reflux, you already hit several risk factors that the American Gastroenterological Association flags for screening.

Why the Feds Are Under the Microscope

The bill’s main action is a mandate for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to produce a comprehensive report within one year of the law’s enactment (SEC. 3). The GAO is required to look specifically at the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP)—the insurance plan covering millions of federal workers and retirees. They have two big questions to answer.

First, the GAO must calculate the total financial burden of treating esophageal cancer within the FEHBP, essentially putting a price tag on the disease for this massive government health plan (SEC. 3).

Second, and perhaps more important for public health, the GAO needs to check if high-risk individuals covered by FEHBP are actually getting screened according to established medical guidelines (SEC. 3). This is where the rubber meets the road: Are people who should be getting checked—like that 55-year-old retired postal worker with chronic heartburn—actually getting the recommended preventive care?

What This Means for Everyone Else

While the study focuses only on federal employees, the findings could have major implications for private insurance and public health policy down the line. If the GAO report shows that screening rates are low and treatment costs are high, it provides concrete data to push for better awareness campaigns and potentially improved screening coverage in other plans. Essentially, the FEHBP is being used as a massive, real-world case study to prove that early awareness and screening adherence save both lives and money. This bill is a fact-finding mission designed to arm policymakers with the hard numbers needed to fight this deadly and rapidly growing cancer.