| Once Intended Parents start the search for a | | | | and charging $100,000! If a judge sees an amazingly |
| surrogate mother, whether its in an independent | | | | large amount of money in a contract that fact alone |
| situation or through an agency setting, they will soon | | | | will raise the following questions: "Was this woman |
| come a crossed the phrase "base fee". What is this | | | | coerced?, Is she selling her body?, Is she selling a |
| fee for? Who sets these fees? Isn't it the same as | | | | baby?" This is why the base fee is labeled |
| 'paying' a surrogate? Why is the word compensation | | | | compensation or reimbursement or even living |
| used? | | | | expenses. Surrogate mothers are supposed to be |
| Let me illuminate you on the "base fee factors". In | | | | carrying a child not to make money but instead for |
| general, a base fee is to cover the 9 months or 40 | | | | altruistic reasons. Any money involved is to support |
| weeks your surrogate will be pregnant with your child | | | | them throughout the process. The point is that no |
| children. It is very rare for any of the base fee | | | | money should be coming out of the surrogates |
| monies to be distributed before you see a heart beat | | | | family budget to support her while she is a surrogate |
| on the ultra sound screen. The base fee is commonly | | | | mother. |
| broken down into monthly payments, however these | | | | The average base fees being asked for by agencies |
| are not equal monthly installments. Lets use a fee of | | | | for their surrogates looks something like this: |
| $20,000. The break down may look like this: | | | | First time surrogate with her own health insurance: |
| Month one: $1,500 | | | | $18,000-$20,000 |
| Month two: $1,500 | | | | First time surrogate without her own health insurance: |
| Month three: $2,000 | | | | $13,000-$15,000 |
| Month four: $2,000 | | | | Second time surrogate with her own health insurance: |
| Month five: $2,000 | | | | $25,000-$28,000 |
| Month six: $2,500 | | | | Second time surrogate without her own health |
| Month seven: $2,500 | | | | insurance: $20,000-$22,000 |
| Month eight: $3,000 | | | | Third and forth time surrogates with health insurance |
| Month nine: $3,000 | | | | can command anything up to $45,000 and those |
| These fees are usually strategically set up like this in | | | | without $35,000. |
| a contract because there are so many times that a | | | | Yes, there are some variations but this configuration |
| miscarriage can happen in the first couple of months | | | | is the most common. Insurance companies are adding |
| of an IVF cycle. This way the Intended Parents are | | | | surrogacy exclusions each time they print up a new |
| not out a huge amount of money and the surrogate | | | | policy! They feel that if money is being exchanged |
| is compensated for the time that she actually did | | | | then their policy shouldn't be used as a bargaining |
| carry. | | | | chip. If a surrogate is on medicaid then she can not, |
| Lets remember that babies are born on their own | | | | under any circumstances, use government insurance! |
| time table and so if a baby or babies are born early | | | | This is FRAUD and is punishable by the law. |
| the amount that is left over is put into one last | | | | Surrogates without insurance need to be insured |
| check and given to the surrogate with in 14 days | | | | ASAP through one of the few companies that have |
| after the birth or whatever is stated in the contract. | | | | policy especially for those involved in third party |
| In the case of multiples an extra amount is often | | | | reproduction or family building. New Life is one of |
| added from month 5-9. | | | | those agencies. Needless to say these are very |
| So who sets these fees? Good question! Basically | | | | expensive policies which is why an uninsured |
| attorneys and agencies know state by state what | | | | surrogate is compensated less then those who carry |
| those judges will tolerate regarding a surrogacy fee. | | | | their own health insurance policies with maternity |
| This is why you don't see women being surrogates | | | | coverage. |