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Although the surrogacy cost when going through an agency can be quite high in the United States compared to other countries, the great benefit is that you can feel comfortable knowing that the entire process is safe and legal for all those involved. There are a number of expenses surrounding the surrogacy process that serve to protect both the woman and the intended parents, and we'll discuss them here.

Agency and Legal Fees

Surrogacy agencies in the United States typically charge an agency fee ranging from $20,000-$25,000 to locate and screen a viable surrogate and for the overall management and coordination of the journey.

In addition to the agency fee, there are also legal fees involved with surrogacy that are approximately $6,500-$7,500. This will cover the attorney's fees to draft and review the contract between the intended parent(s) and the gestational surrogate. Intended parents will also need to hire an attorney in the state where the surrogate resides in order to obtain parentage of the child(ren). This is the legal parentage process by which the surrogate's name comes off the birth certificate and the intended parents' name goes on. Prior to the match being made, most agencies will connect the intended parents with a state specific attorney that specializes in this area of law in order to ensure that all parties are fully informed about these parentage procedures.

surrogate Compensation

Once you are matched, first-time gestational surrogates charge a base compensation which can range anywhere from $25,000-$35,000 for a single birth. Experienced carriers normally charge in the range of $35,000-$50,000 based on Gestational Carrier's insurance, experience, and requests. This typically increases $5,000-$8,000 for a twin birth. Some of the additional fees that a surrogate may charge include a monthly stipend that is used for prenatal vitamins, travel back and forth to doctor appointments, co-pays for appointments, etc. Other fees may include those for an embryo transfer, C-section, invasive procedure, and maternity clothing. These surrogacy costs are all negotiated during the contract phase of the journey with assistance of the surrogacy agency and legal counsel.

The gestational surrogate can also charge fees for various aspects of the journey, including, for example, lost wages, childcare and housekeeping for doctor-ordered bed rest, the delivery and post-delivery. These fees are based on the woman and her spouse's income, and can be capped during contracts. This is to ensure the intended parents are aware ahead of time of the potential costs if their surrogate is placed on doctor-ordered bed rest.

 Medical Costs

Another potential surrogacy cost for the intended parents is monthly premiums for a surrogate's insurance policy. This all depends on whether the surrogate is using a personal policy through her employment or her spouse's employment. After a formal review, WSS normally determines if the policy can be used to cover the surrogacy. If it can be used, there may be no cost to the intended parent other than the deductible or out-of-pocket costs. In an instance where the policy has a clear surrogacy exclusion and cannot be used, a new policy will need to be purchased by the intended parents. This may add approximately $5,000-$6,000 on to the journey.

However, it is important to note that insurance cannot be used for the 6-8 week "monitoring" phase. The monitoring phase consists of periodic blood work and ultrasounds, which is the financial responsibility of the intended parents. Insurance can be used once the gestational surrogate is confirmed pregnant and released from the IVF doctor to the care of her OBGYN.

Travel Expenses

Another potential cost for intended parents is travel. A surrogate is required to travel to the intended parent's IVF clinic at least two times, once for the testing appointment and once for the embryo transfer. Expenditures may include flights, hotel accommodations and transportation to/from the airport (if applicable). However, travel costs can be kept at a minimum if the intended parents are willing to wait for a woman that is within driving distance of their clinic.

 Although these surrogacy costs may seem expensive to intended parents, they find that it is all worth it when they are holding their child for the first time, beginning a new journey as a lasting family.