Anticipated Costs

What are the anticipated costs of a gestational carrier arrangement?

Every surrogacy arrangement is unique and governed by its own contract. Your individual costs may vary from those listed here depending on your circumstances.

Agency fee

Pearl Surrogacy’s agency fee is $24,000.

Included in this fee:

  • 24/7 availability and support for intended parents and gestational carrier throughout the process
  • Recruitment, pre-screening and initial medical record review of your gestational carrier
  • Criminal background checks for the gestational carrier and her partner (if she has one)
  • Criminal background checks for intended parents
  • Review of gestational carrier’s insurance policy for determination of whether a surrogate pregnancy will be covered
  • Obtain a pre-authorization or pre-determination of coverage for a surrogate pregnancy (if applicable)
  • Obtain maternity coverage insurance policy options if needed
  • Obtain newborn coverage insurance policy options if needed (generally only for international intended parents)
  • Coordinate final medical screenings and testing with intended parents’ infertility clinic
  • Coordinate final psychological screenings for all parties
  • Assist in locating attorneys for intended parents and gestational carrier
  • Engage escrow agent for management of escrow account
  • Coordinate with escrow agent to ensure proper disbursements in accordance with the surrogacy contract
  • Assist in locating and coordinating with local monitoring clinic for gestational carrier
  • Coordinate logistics of preparing for embryo transfer, including travel arrangements
  • Coordinate with attorneys to ensure all necessary documentation is obtained for a pre-birth order
  • Assist in obtaining additional support services, if needed, for gestational carrier and intended parents
  • Coordinate with hospital in advance of your baby’s birth
  • For international intended parents, assist in locating and coordinating with a local attorney to advise on immigration and parentage issues after you bring your baby home

Additional Expenses

The costs below are estimates for your use in planning.

Medical

$1,000-$2,500 Infectious disease screenings required by the FDA
$1,000-$2,000 Appointment, exam and uterine cavity evaluation of gestational carrier by your infertility specialist
$1,000-$1,500 Final psychological evaluation of all parties
$15,000-$30,000+ IVF cycle clinic costs (depending on the number of cycles)
$2,500-$10,000+ Medication costs (depending on the number of cycles and doses)
$10,000-$20,000 Additional costs if using an egg donor

Legal

$6,000-$10,000 Surrogacy contract drafting and negotiation; preparation and filing of all documents necessary to obtain proper parentage determinations
$1,000-$2,500 Attorney for gestational carrier for contract review and negotiation; assist as necessary with documents for pre-birth order
$10,000-$20,000 Additional costs if you are international intended parents for a local attorney to assist with immigration and parentage issues

Insurance

$15,000-$45,000 Maternity coverage policy for gestational carrier if her insurance will not cover a surrogate pregnancy (singleton: $15,000-$25,000; twins: $15,000-$45,000)
$500-$750 Term life insurance policy for gestational carrier
$500-$1,500 Disability insurance for gestational carrier (if it is an option)
$25,000-$50,000+ Newborn insurance (generally only considered by international intended parents)

Gestational Carrier Compensation*

$30,000-$35,000 For a first-time gestational carrier; increased cost if carrying a multiple pregnancy
$35,000-$40,000+ For an experienced gestational carrier; increased cost if carrying a multiple pregnancy

*Compensation payments are paid monthly in equal installments.

Gestational Carrier Reimbursements and Incidental Expenses*

$500-$1,000 Maternity clothes allowance
$1,000-$1,500 Embryo transfer fee
$1,000-$1,500 Invasive procedure fee (i.e. CVS, amnio, D&C, reduction); fee is paid per invasive procedure
$200-$300/month Anticipated costs of travel and childcare reimbursements; some contracts provide for this as a fixed monthly stipend and some provide for itemized reimbursements of expenses
$500-$2,500 Meetings with a psychologist, if necessary
$0-$25,000+ Gestational Carrier’s lost wages (for any time off from work related to the surrogate pregnancy, including doctor’s appointments, bed rest, delivery and recovery); actual amount will depend on her wages
$0-$5,000 Gestational Carrier partner’s lost wages usually around time of delivery; actual amount will depend on wages
$2,000-$5,000 Per trip travel expenses to intended parent’s clinic; actual amount will depend on gestational carrier’s location.**
$250-$1,000 Per week bedrest compensation and childcare costs; actual amount and any cap will be set in surrogacy contract
$1,500-$3,000 C-section fee
$500-$1,000 Home study, if requested by intended parents

*Your surrogacy contract will detail the amount and nature of reimbursements.
** This estimate does not include any travel for intended parents. If you are international and/or will be traveling to your gestational carrier for doctor’s appointments and delivery, those costs will be in addition to those outlined here.

Total anticipated costs for a successful surrogate pregnancy are approximately $75,000-$125,000. This number may be higher if you undergo repeated medical treatments to create the embryos for transfer to your gestational carrier. International intended parents should expect additional legal and insurance expenses as well as increased travel expenses for themselves. Your actual costs may be lower if you already have frozen embryos available for transfer.

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