Most intended parents are surprised to hear about the wide range of possible costs for gestational surrogacy. One of the most variable and hard to understand parts of the surrogacy journey cost is the Insurance portion. Intended Parents begin to realize that the medical insurance process is more complex than they expected. Insurance can be a challenging process for anyone to understand. But it’s one of the most important steps to protecting your surrogate as well as your wallet.
When preparing for the surrogate journey, you should receive a comprehensive analysis of your potential surrogate’s insurance and learn about the different options for your unique situation. Whether you’re unsure what the best Insurance option is for your case, here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions. This information should help put your mind at ease and better understand the process.
Which types of gestational surrogacy insurance options are available?
Once you know what insurance coverage your potential surrogate has, your Agency should be able to help you understand if additional or supplementary insurance is necessary. If your potential surrogate has Insurance for the pregnancy that does not have a surrogacy exclusion, then you may not need supplemental insurance. However, you may want to obtain a backup plan to cover you in the event that the insurance failed or added an exclusion or was lost during the pregnancy.
If your potential surrogate does not have insurance, then you will have to obtain insurance for her. This is usually done during open enrollment on the ACA. Open enrollment is during November each year. If you are not at the right time of year, Simple Surrogacy can offer you other options, like Prime Insurance.
What does health insurance for a gestational surrogacy cost?
Health insurance plans have a wide variety of costs. Insurance plans can cost between $550-$850/month on the Affordable Care Act. In addition to the monthly cost, there will be co-pays and deductibles, typically with an out of pocket max of around $6,000-$9,500. The range of costs there depends on the plan selected. Some plans have lower cap amounts but higher monthly costs.
Another option is Prime Insurance which partners with select insurance carriers to protect surrogate mothers and intended parents. The upside to these plans is that you can purchase them anytime of the year. While they cost more than the ACA plans, they’re still cheaper than most pregnancy plans.
Can a surrogate choose to use her own insurance plan?
In some cases, the surrogate is able to choose her own health insurance plan. It’s important that the surrogate looks over the policy with a qualified insurance specialist who’s familiar with the fertility industry. The insurance specialist can determine whether a policy is acceptable to use during the surrogate’s maternity policy. Keep in mind there are several variables to consider, such as the Employer Open Enrollment period, fully funded policies, loss of employment, or self-funded policies.
Is the baby included in the plan?
It’s also important to consider the baby when choosing the right medical insurance. However, only the surrogate and her pregnancy is covered under such a plan. It does not cover the baby following the birth. It’s imperative that you contact your health insurance policy following the birth of your child. They need to know that you want to have your baby covered under the insurance. The plan also cannot be used for IVF costs or any medical care before the pregnancy is confirmed and the surrogate is released to her OB/GYN.
How do I get started?
The gestational surrogacy cost and medical insurance can be overwhelming to navigate. That’s why it’s so important to work with an agency like Simple Surrogacy. If you want to build a family through surrogacy, our helpful representatives can help you find the perfect surrogate mother.
Our friendly and knowledgeable representatives can also help you determine your current health plan or if you need a new one. This allows you to focus on more important things, such as getting to know your surrogate mother. When you’re embarking on the surrogate journey, it’s easy to forget about the costs and medical insurance, but it’s a crucial step.
Contact Simple Surrogacy today by reaching out to us online or calling us at 1-866-41-SURRO for more information on gestational surrogacy.
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