Why are Surrogacy Costs So High?
The reason that surrogacy costs are so high is that a successful surrogacy outcome requires many experts and trained professionals to complete the process in a safe and successful way. With the right team in place, Intended Parents can move forward in their surrogacy arrangement with the peace of mind that comes from knowing they have a great team of experts supporting their journey.
Psychological Support Team
A licensed psychologist provides initial evaluation of surrogate candidates to ensure that the surrogate understands and is prepared to undertake her responsibilities. The psychologist will evaluate the surrogate’s emotional maturity and psychological health through clinical evaluation and the use of assessment tools. Ongoing monitoring throughout the process allows for appropriate counseling and support as needed.
A psychologist will also provide initial counseling of the Intended Parents ensuring a complete understanding of the process, emotional aspects that can arise, and help to set expectations and guidance for interaction during the process. Issues related to the use of donor gametes in which one or both parents may not be biologically related will be explored. Issues related to parenting and future discussions with children born through surrogacy can also be discussed.
Joint counseling of Intended Parents and Surrogate Carrier and her partner help to explore appropriate boundaries, expectations for communication and involvement in the process with a goal of ensuring that both the Surrogate Carrier and Intended Parents experience a fulfilling and positive journey.
Legal Team
Laws differ by state and it is important that a legal team is assembled to ensure that the laws of the surrogate’s state, the Intended Parent’s state and any required donor’s states are examined to ensure the best possible outcome. Issues related to parentage for same sex couples must be carefully vetted. Legal issues for international surrogacy in which Intended Parents reside abroad must be carefully evaluated to ensure successful outcomes in the Intended Parents country of residence. The attorneys must have expertise in the area of Assisted Reproductive Technology. The Agreements between the Intended Parents and Surrogates form the foundation of one of the most significant undertakings both parties could ever engage in. As such, this Agreement must be thorough, prepare parties in advance for the multitude of contingencies and clearly lay out responsibilities, compensation issues, medical issues, and financial issues. Some topics may be somewhat uncomfortable for both parties to discuss without a mediator which is what agency management and the legal team does – this can avoid uneasiness and misunderstandings that can cloud what should be a wonderful experience of two parties bringing a life into this world together.
Administrative Team
Surrogacy is a complex process that must be managed from beginning to end. Recruitment and matching, meetings, appointments, financial processes, travel coordination, insurance evaluation, medical procedure coordination, and legal process coordination. All of this is done by agency staff who are experienced and can provide invaluable support and expertise throughout the process.
Insurance Team
Intended Parents need to understand what medical liabilities they face in the surrogacy arrangement. Does the surrogate have health insurance? If so, does that insurance cover surrogacy arrangements? If not, what are the options? This is one of the most important risk management assessments Intended Parents have in the surrogacy process. Should complications arise, health care costs can sky rocket so Intended Parents must have a thorough assessment of these risk factors and insurance options to protect them from risk.
Agency Team
The surrogacy agency is the project manager for the surrogacy process and is the glue that holds all of the different teams in place. A surrogacy agency should have experienced, credentialed professionals overseeing the process who are sensitive and empathetic to the needs of Surrogates and Intended Parents and who also bring professional skills to the process to ensure that the various issues and processes that are part and parcel of any surrogacy arrangement are properly managed. When there are problems in any of the various stages of the process, Intended Parents must have a reliable and competent mediator and manager to smooth out and correct the problems.
Are there less costly alternatives? Yes, there are. But how much are you willing to risk by opting for the less costly short cuts or programs that don’t offer top notch professional support in all these areas? The emotional and financial risks of a surrogacy arrangement are too great to leave it up to chance.
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