What Insurance Will Cover Surrogate Pregnancy?

Surrogacy provides potential parents with the opportunity to have a baby. A woman known as a surrogate carries the baby to term. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate’s eggs are fertilized with donated sperm. In gestational surrogacy, both the eggs and sperm are donated and implanted using in vitro fertilization. A surrogate will need prenatal care as well as coverage for her delivery and any complications. The intended parents of the baby and the surrogate will need to work out the details to provide the surrogate with health care throughout her pregnancy and delivery.

If the surrogate is using in vitro fertilization to become pregnant, that should be factored into her health insurance coverage. This may be covered by the intended parents’ insurance. Coverage may be limited to creating the embryos, though. For specifics, contact your health insurance company and ask for a health insurance coverage opinion letter. This letter should specify the coverage for in vitro fertilization for a surrogate.

The surrogate will also need prenatal care and coverage for her labor and delivery. This may also be covered by the intended parents’ insurance, but it’s important to verify coverage with your insurance company before proceeding. If it’s not covered by the intended parents’ insurance, there are other options available.

There are insurance policies specifically for surrogates. These policies tend to be expensive. They may have high monthly premiums and a high deductible. It can offset the costs of labor and delivery, though, especially if there are any complications. Before purchasing a surrogacy insurance policy, read the policy carefully and make sure you fully understand the coverage and its limitations.

If the surrogate already has health insurance, she can check with her insurance company to confirm her coverage. If she doesn’t have health insurance, she may be able to purchase an individual plan through her state’s health insurance marketplace. To enroll in a plan, she may need to wait for an open enrollment period. She may be entitled to a special enrollment if she’s lost her health insurance coverage involuntarily.

Typically, the intended parents pay for the health care costs of their surrogate. This may include premiums, deductibles and copays. Some intended parents may also choose to pay for their surrogate’s health care out of pocket. Before moving forward with a surrogacy, there should be legal documentation spelling out who is paying for health care costs. A legal professional can assist you with making sure everything is clear before progressing with surrogacy.