; for surviving family and friends the risk of attempting suicide increases by 65 percent. (7) Family and friends who lost a loved one to suicide are 80 percent more likely to drop out of school or stop working. (8) Access to mental health services is important to mitigate suicide, suicide contagion, and bereavement. Access to care also reduces the financial burden for individuals in need of mental health services. (9) The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has increased access to mental health services, but there is still a large population that is uninsured or has insufficient coverage to seek mental health services. (10) Family and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide should not face hurdles when attempting to access mental health services. As such, a suicide or suicide attempt should constitute a qualifying life event for any individual who is eligible to enroll, but is not enrolled, in a health benefit plan under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 3. Providing for a special enrollment period for family members of individuals who have committed suicide (a) Public Health Service Act Section 2702(b)(2) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300gg–1(b)(2) is amended by inserting including a special enrollment period for family members of individuals who have died by suicide, allowing them to enroll in, or change, their health care plan, beginning on the date on which the suicide is reported to the health insurance issuer before the period at the end. (b) Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Section 1311(c)(6) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ( 42 U.S.C. 18031(c)(6) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking and at the end; (2) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); and (3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following new subparagraph: (D) a special enrollment period for family members of individuals who have died by suicide, beginning on the date on which the suicide is reported to the Exchange