International Intended Parents
Surrogacy For International Intended Parents
Deciding that surrogacy is right for you is a big decision for anyone, but it is an even bigger step when you live thousands of miles away from your growing baby.
If you are living in a country other than the US, there are a few areas in which your journey may differ including: shipping your embryos/sperm, getting insurance for your newborn, the legalities of leaving the US and bringing your baby home with you.
The good news is, we are here to help you with all of these things.
Why The United States?
Here are some of the reasons that make the US the top place to pursue a family through surrogacy:
• The US has the top IVF doctors, the highest statistics for successful IVFs and the highest pregnancy rates – meaning fewer tries to get pregnant.
• Surrogacy is legal in 47 of our 50 states and one or both of your names will go on the birth certificate. In fact, our agency only works with Gestational Surrogates that will give birth in surrogacy-friendly states. “Surrogacy-friendly” means that the courts will acknowledge the Intended Parent/Gestational Surrogate contract, and uphold it should a discrepancy arise.
• The baby is yours from the moment that contract is signed, which is even before conception.
• Our agency works with the top IVF doctors in the world with the highest statistics for successful IFVs and the highest pregnancy rates – meaning fewer tries to get pregnant.
Shipping Sperm/Embryos
Some international Intended Parents may either have frozen embryos, eggs or sperm they would like to ship to the United States. There are companies that specialize in cryo-shipping and it is done quite regularly without any complications. Our role is to help with all of your surrogacy and egg donation needs and we are happy to make recommendations.
Insurance For Newborns
As you probably know, the U.S. does not have government-sponsored insurance like most other countries. So, it probably won’t surprise you that insurance in the United States can be both complicated and expensive.
When a child is born in the United States, if the Intended Parents have their own private insurance through work, they should check to see if it will cover a baby born here. Most international Intended Parents do not have this option.
Insurance for your newborn is not the same as the health insurance that covers your Surrogate during the pregnancy. Her health insurance DOES cover her medical care, the costs for the hospital, and delivery while she is pregnant. Her health insurance does NOT cover medical care for your baby once born. When the umbilical cord is cut, the medical costs related to the care of your baby become your financial responsibility as you are now the legal parent.
Here are a few options for obtaining newborn insurance:
Insurance Before The Birth
If you decide to pre-purchase insurance before the birth of your child, there are two policies available — both can be expensive but have great coverage:
Lloyd's of London Plan
This policy costs approximately $30,000 for a singleton and $90,000+ for twins. No countries are excluded from obtaining this policy. Intended Parents have up to the 12th week of pregnancy to enroll.
Great Morning
Insurance After The Birth
There are no post-birth insurance policies readily available for newborns with Intended Parents living abroad. In the past few years the US government has become stricter about eligibility for ACA (Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare) insurance, so there is a very little guarantee you will be able to get ACA for your baby if it is born with complications.
Intended Parents with a healthy baby and no insurance can expect a hospital bill of about $4,000 – $8,000. This is a business, so unlike in other countries, you can negotiate with the hospital, and many Intended Parents end up paying between $3,000 – $6,000.
Whatever you choose, we recommend you speak with a licensed insurance broker that specializes in surrogacy. We ourselves are not insurance brokers but are happy to make recommendations to one to assist you in obtaining the necessary insurance for your newborn child. Prices are not guaranteed and can change at any given time.
Newborn's Birth Certificate & United States Citizenship
Because our agency only matches you (unless you request otherwise) with a surrogate living in a state where just your name/s go directly on the birth certificate (not your surrogate’s name), there should be no complications in getting a passport for you to travel home with your child.
You will be guided through the necessary steps to obtain the birth certificate and passport by The Fertility Agency and your United States surrogacy attorney. In most cases you can assume your U.S. attorney will advise you to speak with an attorney in your own country prior to starting a surrogacy here in the U.S. to be familiar with the immigration laws.
Rest assured, we have worked with Intended Parents from countries where surrogacy is still illegal (France, Italy, Germany, etc) and we have helped them to return home with happy, healthy babies.
