Intended parents interested in growing their families through surrogacy will often ask us, “How much does surrogacy cost?” The cost of a surrogate can vary depending on the intended parents’ needs (surrogate only or surrogate plus egg donor). Asking the right questions will help intended parents determine how much their surrogacy will cost and help them financially prepare for the journey ahead.
At Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation, we take the guesswork and uncertainty about surrogacy costs away with our all-inclusive fixed cost program. This cost program was created from Circle’s experience of helping over 1,500 families have the baby(ies) of their dreams. Having supported so many intended parents—and seeing almost everything that can happen during a journey—Circle Surrogacy was able to create a surrogacy cost that covers all expenses for intended parents (IPs).
As intended parents do their research and interview surrogacy agencies, it may be helpful to have a list of questions to ask each agency to better compare their offerings. IPs will find that surrogacy costs vary across agencies. This happens for a few reasons: 1. Agencies may have different ‘agency fees’ for their services 2. The costs provided may not cover all of the same services across agencies, and 3. Agencies may need to outsource services and will not have an exact cost for certain line items.
5 Questions To Ask Your Surrogacy Agency About Surrogacy Costs
Here are 5 questions intended parents should ask any agency with whom they are speaking.
1. Are legal costs included in the overall costs?
Yes. At Circle Surrogacy, all intended parents’ legal fees—as well as any legal fees required for their gestational carrier and their egg donor—are covered in the total surrogacy costs paid to the agency.
2. How much does a surrogate make?
Surrogates are paid a base fee, plus additional payments and benefits throughout the surrogacy journey. At Circle Surrogacy, all of these surrogate mother costs are included in the total surrogacy payment. In general, a surrogate is paid a $35,000-$45,000 base fee, plus additional payments during pregnancy totalling approximately $50,000-$60,000.
3. What is NOT covered in the surrogacy costs?
This is perhaps the MOST important question to ask regarding surrogate costs—what costs will pop up during a journey that IPs will be responsible for. At Circle Surrogacy, the only costs not covered in the Journey Protection Guarantee Program are any IVF costs that are paid directly to the clinic (such as intended parent’s IVF medications or embryo creation) and any travel the intended parents do for their journey. Every other cost will be covered, and we guarantee no surprise costs or invoices along the way.
4. What are the benefits of all-inclusive surrogacy cost program?
An all-inclusive surrogacy cost program is the safest and most secure option for intended parents. While we hope every surrogacy journey goes as smoothly as possible—a pregnant surrogate on the first transfer with no issues during the journey at all—that is not always the case (just like with traditional pregnancies). Circle’s all-inclusive program covers unlimited transfers and any complications that may arise, and intended parents will not pay one additional cent for their journey.
5. Can I get a refund if I am not successful?
Our goal is that everyone brings home a baby. Our Journey Protection Guarantee program is designed to help as many intended parents reach that goal as possible. If for some reason intended parents have no embryos remaining and do not bring home a baby, intended parents will receive a 100% refund of their agency fee.
Surrogate costs can feel complex and overwhelming, however, we hope that will not stop intended parents from considering surrogacy to grow their family. Surrogacy is an amazing journey that brings an intended parent and their gestational surrogate (and egg donor when needed) together to form an indescribable bond.
If you have further questions about the cost of surrogacy, you can speak with our experienced Parent Intake Team by filling out this form or calling 617-439-9900.