Surrogacy Cost

• A surrogate pregnancy typically costs about $60,000. Most programs do not charge a flat fee, but instead charge administrative fees and collect other fees that the prospective parents agree to pay, such as a surrogate fee, a health insurance premium for the surrogate, a maternity clothing stipend and other expenses.
• The total cost typically includes a fee of between $13,000 and $25,000 for the surrogate's services, as well as an added fee of about $2,500 to $7,000 in case of a multiple birth or C-section; this can be negotiable with the surrogate, which can change the total cost substantially.
• For example, the International Assisted Reproduction Center in Maple Grove, Minnesota, which estimates total costs of $60,000, charges administrative fees of $16,000 -- payable in an initial installment of $8,000 and two more of $4,000 -- with the rest of the expenses varying on a case-by-case basis. The agency estimates, as part of the total along with its own fees, $13,000 to $25,000 for the surrogate's services.
• In addition to the administrative fees and surrogate fee, typical expenses that make up total cost include: $10,000 to $15,000 for IVF screening and procedures; $2,000 to $10,000 for legal fees, and $4,000-6,000 to provide a stipend, maternity clothes and support group meetings for the surrogate.
• To minimize legal complexity, the recommended approach is gestational surrogacy, in which an embryo or embryos are created -- either with sperm and eggs from the prospective mother and father, or anonymous donors -- and implanted in the surrogate using in vitro fertilization (IVF). The International Assisted Reproduction Center offers an overview of gestational surrogacy.
• Health insurance does not cover the cost of hiring a surrogate. However, if the surrogate has health insurance, it covers the medical costs associated with the pregnancy unless there is a surrogacy exclusion. According to Baby Beginnings LLC, most surrogates' health insurance plans do have exclusions.

• The total fee typically includes the agency's finding and screening a surrogate, guiding the parents and surrogate through the proceedings, including requiring the use of pre-screened fertility clinics.
• If the first surrogate match does not work out, the agency usually will match the couple with another and will continue to do so until the end of an agreed-on time period -- usually two years.

• Not all programs require psychological counseling for the surrogate, but some surrogates request it at the parents' expense. Regular sessions throughout the pregnancy typically cost a total of $2,500.
• If the pregnancy has complications that require the surrogate to miss work, lost wages usually must be compensated.
• Some agencies charge up to one-third more to match a couple with a "proven" surrogate who has been through the process before.
• Use of an egg donor can add $10,000 to $15,000 extra to the total cost.

• The surrogate fee can vary widely and usually is negotiated between the prospective parents and the surrogate. Some surrogates will accept a lower fee if asked.
• Traditional surrogacy -- in which the surrogate is artificially inseminated with the prospective father's sperm, costs less because artificial insemination is much less expensive than IVF. However, it also can be more legally complex and less certain. The International Assisted Reproduction Center offers an overview of traditional surrogacy.
• Finding a surrogate independently can greatly reduce the cost of surrogacy, but can present serious legal and emotional challenges. But some agencies will work for a discount if the couple finds their own surrogate.

• According to the American Fertility Association, the three common approaches to surrogacy are using a small agency, using a big agency or the "independent" approach.
• SurroMomsOnline.com is an informational website run by women who have served as surrogate mothers.
• RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association offers a list of questions to ask an agency, such as how long the agency has been in business; whether they provide referrals from previous clients; how surrogates are recruited; how surrogate's expenses are handled; and how many babies have been born through the agency's program.

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