Surrogacy 101

Selecting a Qualified Escrow Fund Management Provider for Your Surrogacy or Egg Donor Journey a Guest Post by Denise Steele of SeedTrust Escrow Services

Third-party fertility escrow cases are complex and parents invest a great deal throughout them. While deciding which escrow fund management company is right for you, inquire about the organization’s qualifications pertaining to third-party fertility. It’s your money and you have every right to know the level of expertise your provider has in the field. Security, transparency, and minimizing your risk are the main considerations when deciding which company is the most qualified to manage your investment throughout your journey.

How secure is my money, my data and my information?

The level of protection your escrow fund manager holds in bonds and insurance is the very first question you should address when considering your options. Ask for the dollar amounts for which the company is secured. Also, inquire about the provider’s technology security and encryption levels. If they offer an online platform, HIPAA compliance is paramount since personal information will be required when paying medical bills.

Is my ledger information fully transparent and in real-time?

Third-party journeys can take many months and even years. Payment requests come from many sources including your surrogate, agency, insurance providers, the fertility clinic, attorneys and other payees. Having access to your full ledger anytime you wish is not just a nice-to-have but a need-to-have. The transparency gives you the control you deserve throughout this process. 

Is it a good idea for my attorney or agency to hold my escrow?

Many agencies and attorneys are willing to hold escrow for their clients. There’s an inherent risk in them do so, however. If an escrow issue arises, only an independent and qualified escrow company can protect all of the parties in the relationship. The escrow company doesn’t draft the direct agreement; they are acting as a second set of eyes and adhere to what the parties agreed to in the contract. 

Have I chosen a fair and affordable provider?

Like anything else in third-party fertility, escrow fund pricing models vary. There’s a big difference in fund holding versus fund management. For surrogacy, fund management is where intended parents, surrogates and even agencies will receive the most protection. The ideal scenario is to work with an escrow provider that charges a 1-time fee, regardless if they are holding funds or managing your escrow. Ask the provider if they charge additional fees. Specifically, do they charge extra for rematches, cutting checks or wiring funds? Do they charge annual fees? Fully understand a provider’s pricing model before you agree to have it either hold or manage your escrow.

Partnering with an escrow fund management company that will protect you, your surrogate and your agency throughout the process will minimize everyone’s stress. Having the confidence that you’ve chosen the most qualified and transparent escrow fund management partner will allow you to focus on the details that matter most throughout your family building process.

 

Denise Steele

ART Escrow Consultant

Mom via Third-Party Fertility & Adoption

Mobile: 312-404-6604

www.SeedTrustEscrow.com

#SurrogacyMyth: If a woman has been pregnant in the past year or so, she shouldn't need a maternity clothing allowance

Ahhhh the Maternity Clothing Allowance, a topic of many a conversation. Most surrogacy arrangements have an amount of $750-$1000.00 earmarked for maternity clothing. In the case of twins, a surrogate may use that money around the 10^th week of pregnancy and for a singleton she may use it at around 12-14 weeks. Nothing stops anyone from buying clothing earlier from what the agreement states but the surrogate will not be reimbursed until the time agreed.

Some intended parents might ask a surrogate why she would need new maternity clothing especially if she had a baby within the past 2 years. Here are just a few reasons:

*She gave all of her maternity clothing away not thinking that she might need them again

*She had her last baby in the winter and will need a wardrobe for an entirely different season(s)

*She has a “professional” career and needs to update her wardrobe

*She has a job that requires a uniform and she needs to buy maternity sizes in order to continue working

*She tossed all of her old maternity undergarments and will need to buy new (comfortable bras and underwear often need replacing)

*She has an event that she will attend during her pregnancy and will need to buy appropriate clothing 

*She needs clothes for all reasons: Sleeping, playing, swimming, working, lounging, going out and staying in.

If your wife or significant other were carrying this baby, would you not expect her to buy clothing that was stylish and actually fit for her growing body? Case closed.

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Surrogacy 101 Blog in Feedspot Top 50 Surrogacy Blogs

I received this message yesterday: 

"My name is Anuj Agarwal. I'm Founder of Feedspot.

I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog Surrogacy 101 has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 50 Surrogacy Blogs on the web. 

http://blog.feedspot.com/surrogacy_blogs/

 

I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 50 Surrogacy Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!"

 

It's always nice to be validated and acknowledged and making the top 50 on the Internet for Surrogacy is pretty awesome! I hope that my dear readers also feel that the information found on Surrogacy 101 is helpful and easy to understand! I appreciate your continued support!

 

 Thank you!

Sharon LaMothe

LaMothe Services, LLC

http://LaMotheServices.com

LaMothe Surrogacy Consulting

http://LaMotheSurrogacyConsulting.com

InfertilityAnswers

http://InfertilityAnswers.org

#SurrogacyMyth: Surrogates are in the business of selling babies

Can we all say the word ILLEGAL all together? Surrogacy does not equate the selling of babies. No matter what some say, any money a surrogate may make is nothing compared to a full-time job. What payments a surrogate does receive is to either assist her in taking care of herself or taking care of the unborn baby she carries OR reimbursements for co-pays or incidentals needed to follow her contract throughout the surrogacy process.

A first-time surrogate receives between $28-$34 thousand. That may look like a lot but the average surrogacy journey lasts for at least 15-18 months. At the high end, that’s $1888 per month (for those that hate math). I wonder how much day care costs per week these days? And that would be 5 days a week for 9-10 hours. If it were 24/7 I would hazard a bet that it would be more then 2k per month. There is a benefit package that often accompanies the base fee which includes reimbursements for things like lost wages, child care, housekeeping, and maternity clothing, to name a few. There is also compensation for invasive procedures like amniocentesis, C-sections or D&C’s.

In Gestational Surrogacy, women are volunteering to carry a baby for another person or couple. Yes, there is money involved. Payments are also made to the clinic, the egg donor, the RE, the attorney, the mental health professionals, the pharmacy, the OBGYN, and the hospital. This list doesn’t include any specialist that might be involved with the pregnancy/birth. Surrogacy is an expensive process no matter how you look at it.

The thing to remember is surrogacy is an unselfish feeling that has to start in the heart. Of course there are other reasons and rewards that women may want to be a surrogate but the main point is helping others have the children they need to make them parents. It’s simple really. People helping people, families helping families. What could be wrong with that?

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#SurrogacyMyth: All health insurance policies cover surrogacy pregnancy and delivery!

Don’t we all wish this were true! But over the past decade or so most insurance companies have revised their policies to exclude surrogacy arrangements. Some policies are vague and read as if there is some wiggle room but a surrogate candidate must be very careful as she reviews her policy. If bills pertaining to a surrogacy pregnancy and birth are submitted to an insurance company that decides that payment is not their responsibility, several things can happen. First, remember all surrogacy contracts state that the Intended Parents are responsible for all medical bills in relation to the surrogacy arrangement. Most, if not all, medical bills are in the name of the surrogate so as she receives these bills she is expected to arrange payment. If these bills are submitted in a timely manner then the IPs may pay them as soon as possible, perhaps money from the escrow account would be used or maybe they will arrange payments with the OBGYN or hospital. If the insurance company takes it’s time with the decision, the escrow account could be emptied and closed as well as the Intended Parents leave the state or the country (If they are International) and these bills could be left for the surrogate to be responsible for. 

This has happened several times. What can be done to make sure that an insurance policy will be held up and make the payments expected? First, have a professional review the entire insurance policy. If there is any question then the Intended Parents need to invest in a backup plan or full surrogacy insurance coverage backed by a Lloyds of London policy. No one wants to be left with bills after giving an amazing gift of life and family, just as no intended parent wants to be stuck with unexpected medical debt.

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Money and Babies...should the two ever meet? Part Two

     Did that all sound stuffy enough for you? (read Money and Babies Part One)  I have to admit that during my first surrogacy I had NO ESCROW AGENT.....Oh My! But I also have to admit that we had no financial issues. At least none that I really remember. I do recall thinking I was over paid once and having that argument over the phone 6 months pregnant with twins was not appreciated by my IF. Needless to say I was wrong. I have to clarify that the people I had agreed to carry for were not complete strangers and therefore we already had a relationship based on trust. I trusted that they were going to do what they said they would do (it was all clearly written in the contract) and I felt that they trusted me well enough to be true to my word. No one in 1998 even suggested an escrow agent.

 

    Then my second surrogacy (again with twins, due in 2005) was with a couple that I did not know as well and we all agreed to deposit the surrogacy money with their attorney in CA. I have to say that the office that held the escrow had a great system which included cutting checks one day of the week and had guidelines on when to submit for reimbursements via fax. The only issue I had that really upset me was that for an entire year after the twins were born the hospital was not paid $1,400 for the anesthesia used during the C-section. (Ok, Raise your hand if you EVER had or heard of having a C-section without anesthesia ???) Because the escrow agent/ attorney only held money for me and my surrogacy related bills, funds for any other bills such as hospital and other medical costs were not available. I continued to get threats and bills from the hospital....which I quickly forwarded to my IP's. $1,400 really damaged the relationship between myself and my IP's. It took well past the twins 1st birthday to have this issue resolved. (BTW the resolution was them just paying the hospital the full amount directly...something that could have been done months before!)  

 

     So this brings us to my second point in the long, drawn out subject of money and babies...Surrogacy and Egg donation, along with all the professionals involved, cost MONEY and this all happens before the baby/babies are born. (and please don't let the word "donation" fool you) It's after the birth that your child continues to cost you!

 

    Intended Parents: Please make sure that you have enough money in your account to cover all the costs, potential or otherwise. Please remember that at all times this pregnancy is YOURS and not your surrogates'. Please take notice when your surrogate is sending you (or your escrow agent) an OBGYN, anesthesia and other medical bills pertaining to your baby that it is your bill no matter who's name is on it. And Please remember that when your surrogate has just gone through labor or an operation to deliver YOUR baby it is always appropriate to send flowers, a token of your appreciation and even a heartfelt card with a gift certificate in it no matter how much money this process costs because this is the woman who gave YOU the gift that will keep on giving, the gift of life.

 

 

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