Surrogacy is a method of growing your family using a gestational carrier who will carry the embryo of intended parents until delivery day when the gestational surrogate brings the parents’ baby into the world. Some surrogacy journeys require the use of an egg donor or sperm donor in order to create embryos. The costs for the surrogacy process can vary, depending on the types of services that you require. Overall, a typical surrogacy journey can range from $80,000-$100,000+ (excluding medical costs and the costs for the IVF procedure and pregnancy).
When calculating how much surrogacy is going to cost, you can place expenses into four categories:
- Surrogate Mother Agency and Legal Fees
- Surrogate Fund Escrow Account Management
- Surrogate Mother payments
- IVF costs
Your exact surrogacy costs will depend on your specific surrogacy journey. It’s best to speak with your surrogacy agency to get a better understanding of the expenses you can expect. However, we’ve broken out the fees and expenses associated with a typical journey below. NOTE: these costs do not include IVF medical costs and expenses.
Surrogate Mother Agency and Legal Fees
- $28,900-$38,300
- These costs cover the agency’s management of your journey, including intended parent support, surrogate matching and coordination.
Surrogate Fund Escrow Account Management
- Surrogate Fund Escrow Management Fee: $1,500
Surrogate Mother Reimbursements (including possible benefits)
- Base fee: $35,000 (single fetus) or $40,000+ (multiple birth)
- Paid monthly over the course of a confirmed pregnancy
- Experienced carriers may request a higher compensation
- Additional Possible Reimbursements/Expenses:
- Term life insurance $300-$800
- Maternity clothing $500 (singleton) & $750 (multiples)
- Transfer Fee $500
- Invasive Procedure (amnio, reduction, D&C, etc) $500-$1,000
- Mock Cycle/Cancelled Cycle fees $350-$750
- Cesarean Section Fee $1,500-$3,000
- Transportation Allowance depends on location
- Attorney Fee for Carrier’s Representation $750-$1,500
- Medical Expenses for doctor visits, delivery, lab work, etc Varies (not covered by carrier’s insurance)
- Home Study Evaluation $500-$1,200
- Psychological Counseling $1,000-$2,500
- Criminal Background Check $250 per individual
- Childcare when performing duties under the contract (i.e., doctor’s visits) $8-$15/hour
- Health Insurance for Carrier $0-$30,000
- Lost wages (if carrier is employed and has no disability insurance) Based on salary
- Partner’s lost wages when attendance is required
- Housekeeping if carrier is confined to bed during pregnancy $50/week
- Childcare if carrier is confined to bed during pregnancy $8-$15/hour
Important Note: Medical Expenses incurred prior to the carrier’s discharge from the infertility clinic will not be covered by the carrier’s insurance. This will be an out of pocket cost for the Intended Parent(s). Please check with your fertility clinic for an estimate on these fees as they vary by clinic.
Costs for the medical procedure are not included in the estimated expenses, many couples’ insurance policies will cover these expenses. As a result, these costs are highly variable.
The medical facility and Reproductive Possibilities, LLC can help obtain more detailed information upon request. This represents an estimate of the actual costs incurred. In some circumstances, costs may be less than those estimated. In some cases, costs may be greater. Intended Parents should use this sheet as a guide. Due to the unusual nature of these types of arrangements, this sheet should in no way be interpreted as a guarantee of costs incurred. Please note Reproductive Possibilities fees are subject to change. Please consult the office to ensure that the fee schedule you have is up-to-date.
We are happy to speak with Intended Parents about their specific journey with surrogacy, and to estimate costs with them. You can contact us by calling (888) 363-9457 or by filling out this form.