Embarking on a surrogacy journey will result in the birth of your child, so it is natural to question if your insurance policy will cover it. Unfortunately, most traditional insurance policies do not cover surrogacy insurance because the medical necessities (such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF), check-ups, and delivery) are given to another person.
A majority of insurance policies also have a “surrogacy exclusion clause,” so the surrogate is unlikely to be able to use her own insurance, either. However, there are cases where the surrogate mother has an insurance policy that does cover surrogacy expenses. Some policies with surrogacy exclusion clauses may even cover some fertility treatments, like IVF.
Your surrogacy agency checks for the above factors during the surrogate’s pre-screening interviews and paperwork verification. They also help to check your insurance policy, too. Surrogacy agencies do a lot for their intended parent partners, which you can read about here.
Where can I find Surrogacy Insurance?
During the initial steps of your surrogacy journey, you meet with legal representation to negotiate and sign paperwork. At this time you also decide on surrogacy insurance, with the first step being whether you want to opt in or out.
Surrogacy insurance is a specialized type of insurance that ensures protection for both the surrogate mother and your unborn baby if any problems were to come up. At Los Angeles Surrogacy, we highly recommend opting in, as we’ve seen cases of intended parents regretting their decision to opt out when they need to pay more out of pocket expenses in the end.
Not all insurance policies cover surrogacy at all, and some have very specific work-arounds to be aware of.
Your surrogacy agency case manager and legal representative will work with you to:
- Review multiple different insurance agency’s policies to weigh out which is safest and most cost-effective for you
- Decide if there needs to be additional services covered than what is in your chosen insurance policy
- Detail the costs that you will need to pay out of pocket
If you decide not to partner with a surrogacy agency, research different surrogacy insurance policies on your own (and yes, be sure they are surrogacy insurance policies). Then be sure to have a list of what you need in case the policy you choose does not cover certain things. If you are between two agencies or two policies, create detailed lists of what each one provides and at what price. Oftentimes, when comparing the information side by side, the choice becomes easier.
Why can’t I just pay out of pocket?
You always have the option to pay out of pocket, and agencies should not force anyone to opt into paying for surrogacy insurance if they don’t want to. However, we do warn all intended parents that paying for costs upfront without insurance may cost you – in some cases, it may cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars!
This is why Los Angeles Surrogacy recommends, and usually includes in our packages, paying for surrogacy insurance to ensure your surrogate and your baby have the medical coverage they need. Though the initial cost is not cheap, you won’t need to worry during the pregnancy if any other medical needs arise.
We recommend partnering with a surrogacy agency, as we are experienced in the field of finding the best surrogacy insurance policies. An ideal surrogacy agency is transparent about upfront and potential backend costs, and will only recommend proven successful fertility clinics and legal teams.
Los Angeles Surrogacy can partner with intended parents in almost any state within the United States, and in many different countries across the globe. If you are looking for high-quality care and expertise from a leading surrogacy agency, contact us here.
What Does Surrogacy Insurance Cover?
Just as all other insurance providers have different policies and cover different things, surrogacy insurance policies vary.
Infertility Treatments
In-vitro fertilization (IVF) falls under the umbrella of “infertility treatments”. It is the procedure where an egg and sperm are combined in a lab, and the resulting embryo is placed into the surrogate’s uterus. The egg and sperm can be provided by the intended mother and/or father, or by donors.
This process can be pricey, and can also be done more than once if the first time did not result in pregnancy. We recommend having surrogacy insurance to be sure there are no financial worries at this step in the surrogacy journey.
The Surrogate’s Pregnancy
A lot of modern insurance policies cover “pregnancies within the family” to exclude surrogates from gaining coverage on an intended parent’s insurance plan. This is why surrogacy agencies partner with legal professionals to review and ensure coverage for the surrogate.
Because each insurance policy and each family’s situation is unique, surrogacy agencies help intended parents customize their insurance plans by helping families review what they need, negotiating policies with an insurance provider, and potentially adding supplemental pieces to a policy if needed. An agency with years of experience knows what to look for and what to ask for to get a price better than what a generic plan would offer.
How You Can Still Make Surrogacy Affordable?
Because surrogacy involves two extensive medical procedures (the transfer of the embryo to the uterus at the start of the journey, and the delivery of the baby at the end), there are medical costs to match. These costs provide the coverage of high-quality care throughout the entire surrogacy journey – including expected and, sometimes, unexpected services.
You are already taking a step in the right direction by partnering with a surrogacy agency and getting surrogacy insurance. Intended parents who try to negotiate for themselves without the knowledge of what they can and cannot ask for often end up paying more money out of pocket in the long run. (Of course, if you are experienced in the surrogacy field or are knowledgeable about the insurance and medical industries, going through an agency is not an end-all-be-all decision.)
From here, you can research:
- Taking out a loan
- Applying for a grant
- Starting a Fundraising or Crowdfunding campaign (platforms like GoFundMe have seen success in the past!)
- Saving money – in the most standard sense of the phrase. Taking a year or two to really focus on bringing in and saving money can go a long way later on.
For more specific details of how much surrogacy costs, please visit How Much Does Surrogacy Cost for a detailed breakdown on the numbers and what they cover.
Surrogacy is a personal journey that will be tailored to your situation, wants, and needs. For more information specific to you, please contact us here and we will get your questions answered.