What is the cost of surrogacy?

The only hope for sterile and LGBT couple to establish their family is by having biological child through surrogacy. Intended parents can contact reputed surrogate agencies in the USA to find suitable proxy. The agencies also help childless couples in the legal procedure, as well. They arrange a meeting to understand each other and discuss their requirements. Once they are satisfied, an agreement is made between the intended parents and surrogates, which briefly outline the compensation paid to the substitute, legal rights of biological parents and the medical expenses.

The cost of surrogacy involves agency fee, surrogate living expenses, proxy’s monthly miscellaneous charges, embryo transfer fee and maternity clothing allowance. Normally, the fee of surrogate agency will be approximately $19500, which includes fee for advertising, interviewing, approving, and screening the surrogate mother, managing ESCROW account and medical appointments made upon request. Once the prescribed fee is remitted to the agency account, they will take of entire process involved in surrogacy. However, if the biological parents reside outside the United States of America, they need to pay approximately $3500 as international surcharge.

Intended parents need to compensate surrogate for her services. The surrogate mother cost range approximately $30,000 - $35,000 however, if the lady is experienced in surrogacy, biological parents need to pay approximately $40,000. Couples have to reimburse surrogate at the confirmation of fetal heartbeat. Apart from the compensation paid to the gestational carrier, sterile couples should pay $200 every month for miscellaneous expenses. The miscellaneous expenses involve parking fee, meals, childcare, medical appointments, postage and phone calls.

In brief, if the intended parents wish to have a biological baby, they need to spend around $95,000 to $100,000 

Intended parents and their requirements for a baby

Couple desiring for a baby and their inability to raise the baby paves way to search a surrogate who can fulfil their requirements.  Biological surrogacy and non biological surrogacy or gestational method of surrogacy are the two methods available for the intended parents to realize their dreams of having their own progeny.  It is a very complex process and the entire procedure requires expert guidance and it is a very long term process.  The complication involved in this process made this entire affair as very expensive and patience testing period for both surrogate and intended parents. 

There are various laws concerned with surrogate and often mother refuses to part with the child and it is one of the sentimental and emotional issues, therefore, both surrogate and would be couple should be very careful when they decide to become parents by having a child through a surrogate.   Would be surrogate mother can be anybody, from friends group or relatives or volunteers who wish to help such couples. 

It is not an individual work, it is a team work where number of people are involved in the process.  Family physicians, experts in the field,  intended couple, counselors and attorneys, adoption agencies, and mental health agencies altogether sit and decide who is fit to become a surrogate mother.  The selection is done, based on requirements and a suitable match is selected after several rounds of visits to the hospital.  All the expenses are borne by the intended parents and they are explained about these things once they wish to enter into an agreement with the agency where such arrangements and facilities, expertise presents, they can manage this efficiently without any problem.  

The cost of surrogacy - 2014

The surrogacy costs and donor remuneration vary from country to country and it solely depends on where the intended parents opt for surrogacy journey. However, in this blog we provide a basic overview on the cost of surrogacy in the United States of America. Some agencies prescribe an approximate fee of $20,000 upon signing agreements between proxy and intended parents. The legal fee may cost around $10,000 to $16,000 which briefly describes the parental rights and compensation paid to a surrogate. The pre-birth order application should be submitted to the court before 14 weeks of surrogate’s pregnancy. If the intended parents choose an egg donor, they need to pay extra amount of $17,000 to $35,000 which may vary upon the type of donor chosen by the biological parents.

In gestational surrogacy, embryo is transferred to the uterus of a gestational carrier through in-vitro fertilization therapy. The IVF treatment may cost around $23,000 to $30,000. Apart from this, intended parents need to bear the expenses of psychologist fee, travel fee, health insurance fee and agent’s fee. However, agencies explain the cost of surrogacy before signing a contract.

In some of the cases, couples need to remunerate extra fee of $3000 to $5000 if a proxy gives birth to twins. Embryo transfer may charge around $1000 to $1500. If a proxy loss the uterus, fallopian tube or any organs in the body, couples have to pay $3000, $1200, and $5000 respectively.

Couples need to create an ESCROW account in the name of a proxy. It is a service where a monthly compensation is paid to the proxy. The ESCROW fee may be around $700.