Why a separate policy is usually needed
Many personal health insurance plans explicitly exclude surrogacy pregnancies — meaning your own policy may not cover the pregnancy if you’re acting as a gestational surrogate. Because of this, a dedicated surrogacy insurance policy is typically arranged specifically for the journey, paid for by the intended parents.
What’s typically covered
Prenatal care
Regular checkups, screenings, and standard pregnancy monitoring.
Delivery & hospital stay
Labor, delivery, and your hospital stay through discharge.
Pregnancy complications
Coverage for complications like preeclampsia, preterm labor, or a C-section.
Postpartum recovery
Follow-up care related to the pregnancy and delivery itself.
What’s the intended parents’ responsibility
The cost of this dedicated policy — along with any out-of-pocket costs not covered by it — is the intended parents’ financial responsibility, detailed clearly in your legal contract before the journey begins.
“You should never be financially exposed for medical costs related to this pregnancy — that’s the whole point of a dedicated policy.”
What if my existing insurance does allow surrogacy?
In some cases, your existing policy may have no surrogacy exclusion, in which case a coordination of benefits is arranged — but a dedicated policy is still common as a backstop, since insurance terms can be complex and change.
Questions worth asking
- Is the dedicated policy in place and verified before I begin medications?
- What happens with my existing policy alongside this one?
- Who handles claims and paperwork — me, or the agency?