As you begin your surrogacy journey, surrogate insurance can play an important role in determining health care costs for surrogacy, but it’s not always easy to navigate. You can talk with a surrogacy professional about your insurance coverage or keep reading to understand surrogate insurance coverage.
Does Insurance Cover a Surrogate?
It depends. Most surrogacy journeys will be at least partly covered by insurance in some form, but coverage amounts and services can vary by insurance type, as well as the insurance company and your policy.
When surrogacy is covered, coverage tends to be a last resort. Insurance providers are more likely to cover lower-cost infertility treatments first, and surrogacy coverage may be dependent on your individual inability to use lower-cost infertility treatments.
One way that we support intended parents and surrogates through this process is making sure you have the most comprehensive surrogate insurance possible. Our specialists will evaluate your coverage options and, if necessary, secure a new plan that puts you in a better position.
The main sources of surrogate health insurance are:
Insurance from the Intended Parents
If you are planning to have a baby through surrogacy, your primary insurance may cover all or part of the costs of surrogacy medical care for you and your surrogate. In most cases, your primary insurance will cover newborn medical care when you use a surrogate. It is important to note that almost no surrogate insurance policy will cover surrogate compensation or surrogacy fees.
The Surrogate’s Health Insurance
If you are planning to become a surrogate, your primary insurance may cover all or part of the medical costs of your surrogacy journey. Since the intended parents cover what your insurance doesn’t, you won’t pay pregnancy or birth expenses as a surrogate. These expenses and many others are covered by your surrogate compensation package.
An Additional Insurance Policy
Often, the primary insurance policies for the surrogate and the intended parents don’t fully cover surrogacy, and some may not cover surrogacy or fertility treatments at all. We will do an insurance review and, if an additional policy is needed, we take care of that at no additional cost – it is all wrapped up in the comprehensive fee program.
In this case, intended parents may choose to purchase a policy for themselves or the surrogate, or may choose to purchase supplemental insurance if surrogate insurance coverage is limited.
What is Covered by Health Insurance for Surrogates?
What is covered by insurance depends on your insurance plan and provider, but here are some of the medical costs of surrogacy that may be partly or fully covered by insurance:
- IVF
- Pre-natal expenses like vitamins and pregnancy tests
- Surrogacy medical screening
- Pregnancy well visits
- Pregnancy medical care
- Birth
- Surrogate medical care after birth
- The baby’s fetal care and care after birth
- Medical pregnancy supplies and newborn supplies
Anything that is not covered by insurance is generally covered out of pocket by the intended parents, so some intended parents purchase additional surrogate insurance plans to cover any gaps in coverage.
But in some cases, paying out of pocket may cost less than purchasing additional insurance coverage. Since insurance policies and circumstances vary, the best way to determine your surrogate mother insurance coverage is to get help from our specialists, who can help you do an insurance review and help you plan for your surrogacy medical expenses.
Do I Have a Surrogate-Friendly Insurance Provider?
You may be wondering what your insurance will cover if you choose surrogacy. There are many insurance providers and even more insurance plans that vary across providers, so for a comprehensive understanding you will need to study your individual or family insurance coverage.
Some insurance companies are more surrogacy friendly than others. Below we have listed expected coverage for different providers based on previous surrogacy journeys and insurance company policies.
Be aware that insurance coverage policies may change at any time, and it is best to check with your provider for details.
Does Medicaid Cover Surrogacy?
No, Medicaid does not cover surrogacy or surrogate fertility treatments for hopeful parents or surrogates. However, in some states, some limited fertility treatments may be covered by Medicaid for hopeful parents.
- Medicaid is available for women with low or no income, and as a surrogate, a woman will likely receive financial compensation that would disqualify her from receiving Medicaid coverage.
- For hopeful parents, Medicaid generally does not cover fertility treatments, with some exceptions—usually for fertility issues that impact overall health in addition to fertility.
Does Tricare Cover Surrogacy?
Tricare may cover some parts of the surrogacy process for both hopeful parents or surrogates who are covered by Tricare.
- For hopeful parents, there may be some limited coverage for fertility screening or treatments related to surrogacy.
- For surrogates, Tricare pays secondary for some covered health expenses – after intended parent insurance and out of pocket contributions from the intended parents.
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Surrogacy?
BCBS is not a single insurance company, but rather a network of independent, locally operated insurance companies that are affiliated with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Each of these independent companies may offer different plans with varying coverage options for people interested in surrogacy.
Some BCBS plans may provide coverage for certain aspects of surrogacy, such as fertility treatments, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and maternity care, while others may not. It's essential to review the specific details of your BCBS plan and contact your BCBS provider to inquire about their surrogacy coverage policies.
Does UnitedHealthcare Cover Surrogacy?
Infertility and surrogate insurance coverage varies by your state and plan when you have UnitedHealthcare. Some intended parents may have coverage for IVF or other infertility treatments. Generally, surrogate mothers who are not UnitedHealthcare members are not covered.
Does Progyny Cover Surrogacy?
Progyny is an insurance provider that specializes in fertility and family building, and offers coverage through some select employers. Since this insurance is specifically for family building, it is more likely to cover many of the parts of the surrogacy process, like IVF and temporary embryo and gamete storage. However, surrogate insurance may not always be included. Some employers may offer surrogacy reimbursement with Progyny.
Does Kaiser Cover Surrogacy?
Kaiser may or may not cover surrogacy costs for intended parents and for surrogates. For intended parents and surrogates, Kaiser is generally regarded as a more surrogacy friendly insurance, but coverage is dependent on individual circumstances.
Does Cigna Cover Surrogacy?
Cigna may offer surrogacy benefits through some employers, and does not exclude surrogate pregnancies from benefits, so as an intended parent or a surrogate, some care may be covered through Cigna.
Does Aetna Cover Surrogacy?
Aetna may cover some parts of surrogacy for intended parent members who have a plan that includes infertility treatment. For surrogates with Aenta insurance, maternity expenses may be covered
Learn More about Surrogacy Insurance
As a surrogate, you will not be responsible for medical costs related to surrogacy, however as an intended parent, medical costs can play a large role in budgeting for your surrogacy journey. Our specialists can help you conduct a thorough review of all insurance for intended parents and surrogates to help you get the best coverage possible. Click here to get help.