| My potential surrogate mothers and their intended | | | | Many agencies and clinics will not work with surrogate |
| parents are attracted by the idea that Medicaid, or | | | | mothers who are on public assistance. Often, they |
| other federal programs, can assist with the costs of | | | | simply do not want to get involved in a situation that |
| the surrogate mother's pregnancy and the birth of | | | | could become misconstrued by the federal |
| the surrogate baby. Maternity health insurance can be | | | | government. |
| quite expensive and this is a way to trim thousands | | | | Another reason agencies choose not to work with |
| of dollars away from the cost of surrogacy which | | | | these women is the fact that they might need the |
| can be used for other expenses, including the | | | | money provided by surrogacy in order to meet their |
| surrogate's compensation. | | | | basic necessities. Since so much in surrogacy is |
| So that begs the question: if a surrogate mother | | | | uncertain, the surrogate might go months without |
| financially qualifies for government assistance, should | | | | receiving a cent of compensation. She may also go |
| that be used to help cover the costs of a surrogacy? | | | | upwards of a year and end a journey having never |
| The answer is absolutely NO. Under no circumstances | | | | received any compensation whatsoever. |
| should federal assistance be used to fund a | | | | Add to that the fact that many see surrogacy as |
| surrogacy. | | | | exploitation of the poor and agencies simply do not |
| It is not the government's responsibility to assist | | | | wish to get involved. The last thing surrogacy needs |
| intended parents with the costs of their infertility | | | | is more controversy. |
| treatments. Though a typical set of intended parents | | | | Other forms of public assistance, such as WIC should |
| have put in more than their fair share of taxes over | | | | also be viewed the same way. If she were not |
| the years, and might feel entitled to receiving some | | | | pregnant with another couple's child, the surrogate |
| benefits from all of that, it is not the remaining | | | | would not qualify to be placed on WIC; therefore, |
| taxpayer's burden to bear. | | | | she does not quality for it. |
| Though the surrogate mother may qualify to receive | | | | If a potential surrogate mother is in dire financial |
| assistance, the child she carries does not. The | | | | straits, surrogacy is simply not the best option for |
| parents of that child do not meet the income | | | | her. If a woman is currently a surrogate and finds |
| qualifications needed to be eligible for the assistance. | | | | herself in a difficult financial situation which will cause |
| This is the equivalent of a woman claiming her | | | | her to not be able to afford proper nutrition, the |
| neighbor's child is hers in order to qualify. | | | | intended parents should cover these costs. |
| It is fraud. And if the government decided to, they | | | | But under no circumstances should either the |
| could prosecute the surrogate mother and intended | | | | surrogate mother or intended parents be tempted to |
| parents for fraud. This could involve hefty fines, and, | | | | use the government for help. Medicaid is not a cheap |
| if they chose to make an example of the situation | | | | way to get a surrogacy done. It's a way to get in a |
| may even involve jail time. | | | | lot of trouble in years to come. |