Getting insurance for surrogacy is not easy and can be a bit tricky. While many insurance companies does not cover surrogacy, they do not come out explicitly stating that fact and reading plan documents can leave much up to interpretation. Add to that fact that insurance plan documents seems to change so rapidly these days, it can be hard to know if one is truly covered. While I do have current health insurance, it is not favorable toward surrogate arrangements. Also as it is an employer sponsored plan in the Midwest, we are far far "out of network" making it very likely that they would scrutinize all charges being submitted and likely deny them all anyway. In addition, with our relocation back to the coast, it is our hope that Rio will be joining us soon and with that comes another employment change which will bring another insurance change. I know for a fact that if he takes a job with the employer he is prospectively looking at, their insurance will not cover any surrogacy related pregnancy expenses.
As such, A&S is now on the search for the right kind of insurance plan to get and use for our adventure. There are a limited number of options and we are covering all bases to make the best decision. I really wish that this part of surrogacy/infertility was not so incredibly expensive to the intended parents. Getting short term medical coverage for a pregnancy is not only difficult but also incredibly expensive often running in the thousands of dollars. Insurance alone is why many IP's are unable to pursue parenthood unless they can find a surrogate with private insurance that covers surrogacy .. and like I said, that is becoming a rarity rather than the norm.
Although insurance is very expensive, it is a necessity to make sure that everyone is protected. In addition to insurance, another options to look at is getting a quote for a "self-pay" plan from my local clinic and hospital... this may be good option as it will likely less expensive than all other choices as long as I have an uncomplicated pregnancy. But we all know that does not always happen, no one can anticipate anything with any pregnancy at any time ... I have learned that first hand! So in the event we choose to go the self-pay route, we are also looking into back-up policies to have in place that can be activated in the event that something does not go according to plan.
...the joys of insurance .. but once that is behind us we are one step closer :-)
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