Q&A with Sharon LaMothe: Should Women without Insurance Coverage become Surrogates?

Q: Hi Sharon,
I have a question if you don't mind. We have been in business for 2 years now and just recently, this year, started a Surrogacy Service. I have 3 women who are interested in being Gestational Carriers but do not have insurance. They are willing to take less compensation to help the couples if the IPs can provide the Insurance. I have found that even with them taking a lesser amount of compensation, the process is still quite expensive for the Intended Parents. What is your suggestion if any.

A: I often had the same situation with women not having maternity coverage. You can list them on your data base as without insurance coverage and lower their base fee by $4,000 and just tell them that they maybe harder to match and that it may take longer. If their situation changes where they do have insurance coverage, then their base fee would change at that point. Remind Intended Parents that no matter what an ins. policy says (or doesn't say) regarding surrogacy arrangements they (ins. co) can always refuse to pay in any case so it maybe safer for them to pay for a policy from say, New Life, that covers surrogacy arrangements then relying on BCBS or some other company whose policy under a huge gray area where surrogacy is concerned. Under no circumstances have a woman (surrogate) use government assistance. Insurance fraud is a huge price to pay for helping others!

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/
LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/