HOW MUCH DO SURROGATES MAKE? SURROGATE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Women who wish to be surrogates at the Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia are gestational carriers that have no genetic connection to the baby that they are carrying. We often hear surrogates in our program say that they are not giving a baby to someone, but rather giving a baby back to their parents. Giving an individual or a couple the gift of life is an incredible journey and you are compensated well for fulfilling your responsibilities. Let’s go over our program compensation package and discover how much do surrogates make.
“BECOMING A SURROGATE MOTHER WAS THE BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE!”
Although creating your family through surrogacy is exciting, it can also be overwhelming. That’s why we help our intended parents every step of the way.
HOW MUCH DO SURROGATES MAKE?
Surrogate compensation is comprehensive. It covers all necessary expenses before, during, and after the pregnancy.
HERE’S WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Base Compensation is the largest portion of the surrogate payment package. You will receive base compensation throughout your pregnancy, typically divided into eight equal payments, starting when the baby’s fetal heart rate is confirmed. As a first-time surrogate, you will receive $40,000 in base compensation with our program. Women who have been surrogates before will receive a base compensation rate of $45,000+.
- Monthly miscellaneous allowance. When you sign your contract with your Intended Parents, you will begin to receive a monthly miscellaneous allowance of $250. This compensates you for attending initial medical appointments and other small incidental expenses.
- Embryo transfer compensation. You receive a lump payment of $1,000 upon embryo transfer. This is a big moment! You have been taking medications and attending many appointments up to this point, so you should receive compensation for reaching this significant milestone.
- Coverage for medical insurance and any medical expenses. Your Intended Parents cover 100% of your medical expenses, including paying for a surrogacy-friendly comprehensive insurance plan covering all prenatal visits and delivery expenses.
- Maternity clothing allowance. You will receive a lump payment of $500+ to buy maternity clothing as you enter your second trimester. Surrogates who are working professionals may request a larger clothing allowance.
- Life insurance and loss of organs insurance. While we hope we never face this scenario, your Intended Parents pay for a life insurance policy to compensate your family with $250,000+. Additionally, if you undergo an emergency hysterectomy (partial or full), you will receive $5,000 – $10,000 in compensation for your loss of reproductive function.
- Invasive procedure compensation. You may undergo invasive procedures before the embryo transfer or during your pregnancy. These procedures include, but are not limited to, saline ultrasounds, chorionic villus sampling (prenatal testing of the placenta), or amniocentesis. You are compensated a lump payment of $500 for each procedure that you undergo.
- Multiples compensation. Carrying twins? That’s not easy! Surrogates in our program are compensated an additional $5,000 for carrying more than one fetus.
- Lost wages. If you must miss work to attend appointments, you will be provided your lost wages for time off (not only the hour you were at the appointment but any time you spent driving to and from your appointments). If you are put on physician-mandated bed rest, you will also be compensated for all loss of income.
- Childcare and housekeeping reimbursement. Speaking of bed rest, if this occurs, your Intended Parents will also be covering your childcare costs and weekly housekeeping.
- Cesarean section compensation. If the baby arrives by c-section, you are given an extra lump payment of $3,000 immediately after delivery.
- Breast milk compensation If you choose to pump breast milk for the baby, you will receive $150 per week for your effort, plus coverage of all supplies (storage bags, nursing bras, pump accessories, delivery costs for getting the milk to your Intended Parents, etc).
SURROGATES IN OUR PROGRAM RECEIVE COMPENSATION PACKAGES OF UP TO $60,000.
Financial compensation isn’t the only thing that a surrogate mother will receive. She will also receive vital support to help her before, during, and after the pregnancy. Support provided by the Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia (at no cost to surrogates in our program) includes:
- A personal case manager who follows the surrogate throughout the journey, including attending essential appointments and the birth.
- An independent attorney will review your contract with you and answer any questions that you may have about the legal implications of surrogacy.
- Nutritional support in the form of a health coach who will schedule one-on-one counseling sessions and provide meal plans. This nutritional support doesn’t stop at birth; it continues with our special six-week postpartum program to help with your recovery after delivery.
- Financial counseling with certified financial advisors. You will be receiving considerable compensation throughout your journey. When you start the process, you have goals in mind for your family – whether to be debt-free or save for your children’s education. We want to ensure you use your compensation wisely and reach those goals.
- Psychological counseling from a therapist who understands surrogacy. The emotions that you will experience may be complex, and you deserve loving and professional help. Surrogates receive free counseling throughout their journey.
SURROGATE PAYMENTS
One of the most common questions that first-time surrogates have is, “How much do surrogates make?” Gestational surrogates are given generous surrogate base compensation. At the Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia, first-time surrogates are paid a base compensation of $40,000, and experienced surrogates are paid $45,000+. Remember, all surrogates receive additional allowances on top of their base.
SURROGATE PAYMENTS DURING AND AFTER PREGNANCY
In addition to your base compensation, surrogates receive:
- Monthly miscellaneous allowance – $250 per month
- Embryo transfer compensation – $1,000 per transfer cycle
- Medical insurance – 100% of insurance premiums and copayments
- Maternity clothing allowance – $500+
- Invasive procedure compensation – $500 for each procedure
- Lost wages – Reimbursement of your full wages lost due to appointments or bed rest
- Childcare and housekeeping – 100% coverage of the cost of childcare and weekly housekeeping when under bed rest.
- Breastmilk – $150 per week for pumping plus reimbursement for the cost of all supplies
In addition to your base compensation, surrogates receive:
ADDITIONAL SURROGATE PAYMENTS
- Cesarean section compensation – $3,000 at delivery
- Multiples – $5,000 for carrying more than one fetus
- Life insurance policy – $250,000+ paid to your family
- Loss of reproductive organs – $5,000 to $10,000 for your loss of reproductive function
WHAT IS THE SURROGACY CENTER OF PHILADELPHIA PROMISE?
At the Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia, we promise to be by your side throughout your surrogacy journey, answer your questions honestly, and provide you with the best possible care. You become part of our family.
HOW DO I BECOME A SURROGATE MOTHER?
So you want to become a gestational surrogate with the Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia. Congratulations! There are ten basic steps required to become a surrogate, and the process takes anywhere from 12 to 15 months from start to finish. Let’s review these basic steps.
#1 SCREENING AND CONSULTATION
The process begins with a consultation conducted either in person or over the phone. We will answer all your questions honestly and provide complete transparency on the surrogacy process. After the consultation, we will have you complete our formal application, which goes over your lifestyle and medical history. After you’ve applied, we’ll review your application, conduct state, and federal background checks, request and review your medical records, and conduct a psychological screening evaluation. This process takes four to six weeks, after which we’ll let you know if you’ve been accepted into our program and have you sign our agency agreement that says we will represent you through the surrogacy process.
#2 YOUR PROFILE
Congratulations! You are now in our program! Now it’s time for us to create your profile based on what you’ve told us in the written application. This profile is privately shared with Intended Parents that we think would be a good match for you.
#3 MATCHING
Intended parents look at your profile, but this process is a two-way street! You will be looking at profiles of intended parents as well. For anyone you would like to get to know better, we arrange a meeting facilitated by one of our representatives. This process is open, non-judgmental, and under no pressure. Maybe a couple looked wonderful on paper, but you didn’t “click” with them. This isn’t a problem at all. We have lots of Intended Parents on our waitlist that are eager to match with you. Though most of the time, we get it right on the very first match! After your match meeting, everyone typically makes a verbal agreement to move forward.
#4 THE LEGAL CONTRACT
The contract that you sign with your Intended Parents is called your Gestational Carrier Agreement. The agreement lays out all the details of your arrangement with your parents including everyone’s responsibilities and financial obligations. We provide you with an independent and experienced attorney to help you review the agreement and make any changes you need.
#5 THE ESCROW ACCOUNT
All of your compensation is placed into a special account called escrow. This is managed by a professional escrow firm that has a copy of your contract, so you are protected and know that the monies due to you over the course of your pregnancy are being held securely. You will be able to log in to your escrow account at any time and see your total compensation, how much you have been paid thus far, and how much is still due to you. All compensation is paid through escrow by direct deposit to your bank account.
#6 ADDITIONAL SCREENING
Okay, now that the contracts are complete and the escrow account is funded with the money that you will be paid throughout your journey, it’s time to start the medical portion of the surrogacy process. You will go into the fertility clinic for initial intake, blood work and ultrasounds. Once you are cleared by the clinic, they will be putting you on birth control pills as they set up a calendar for the embryo transfer.
#7 EMBRYO TRANSFER CYCLE
As a gestational surrogate, you are a carrier for an embryo that your Intended Parents created through IVF. The clinic will create a daily calendar that indicates when you will be taking oral and injectable medication that will prepare your body to receive the embryo. During your cycle, you’ll be visiting the clinic every few days so that they can watch your hormone levels and the thickness of your uterine lining. When the clinic has determined that your body is ready (typically after two or three weeks of hormone injections), it’s time for the embryo transfer. The embryo that has been frozen at the clinic is defrosted and a small catheter is inserted into your uterus by ultrasound to place the embryo. The procedure is quick and painless. You go home within an hour and rest for the remainder of the day.
#8 YOU’RE PREGNANT!
Assuming the first transfer is successful, congratulations, you’re pregnant! From there, you’ll visit the clinic at least a couple more times to measure human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels in your blood. HCG is a hormone your body produces during pregnancy. We want to see these numbers doubling every single day. Approximately four weeks after your transfer, assuming your HCG levels are clhttps://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/hcg-levels/imbing, you’ll receive an ultrasound to verify a fetal heart rate. Once the baby’s heartbeat is confirmed, you will transfer your care to your regular obstetrician. This is also when your pregnancy base compensation will begin.
#9 PARENTAL RIGHTS
During the fifth month of the pregnancy, it’s time to link back up with the attorneys again. Unlike contracts, this legal process is very simple. You will be asked to sign some paperwork that confirms what you already agreed to – that you’re willingly carrying a baby for someone else. The attorney will gather up this paperwork, along with other documentation from your Intended Parents and fertility clinic, and file it with the county where you’ll be delivering the baby. There’s no need for you to appear in court. It’s merely an administrative process so that an order can be issued to put the Intended Parents’ names directly onto the birth certificate upon the baby’s arrival.
#10 THE BIRTH
The delivery day will soon be here! We will work with you and your Intended Parents on a detailed birth plan, and we make sure the hospital receives any legal paperwork and documentation they need before the birth occurs. You’re not alone when you give birth. One of our loving representatives will be by your side before and during the birth of the baby. You’re also not alone after the birth. We’ll follow up with you with visits to ensure that you’re doing well both physically and emotionally. We will make sure that any remaining compensation is paid and our health coach will be checking in to offer you our six-week nutritional recovery program.
HOW TO BECOME A SURROGATE
Please complete our Surrogate Inquiry Form below so we can contact you and discuss our program further.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SURROGACY
WHO PAYS FOR ALL THE MEDICAL BILLS?
As a gestational surrogate, all of your medical expenses are paid by the Intended Parents, not by you. That’s all part of the contracts you and the intended parents sign.
HOW IS MY SURROGACY COMPENSATION PAID?
A professional escrow company will disperse your surrogacy payments by direct deposit. You can check on escrow transactions at any time with your online login.
DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING RELATED TO BEING A SURROGATE MOTHER?
Nope, not a thing. The intended parents cover everything that’s involved with surrogacy. All our agency services (financial advising, health coaching, counseling) are also free for you. All you’re expected to do is to keep yourself healthy while you carry their child.
DO I NEED TO HAVE INSURANCE TO COVER SURROGACY?
No. Remember, it’s the intended parents’ responsibility to cover your medical expenses involved with surrogacy. If your existing insurance through your employer or spouse covers surrogacy – great! You’re still reimbursed for any deductibles or copays. Your medical policy will be carefully reviewed by an independent insurance agent, so there aren’t any surprise bills later on. If your insurance is not surrogacy-friendly, your Intended Parents will purchase an individual policy for you and cover all premiums, deductibles and copayments.
HOW MUCH LIFE INSURANCE DOES THE POTENTIAL FAMILY PAY FOR?
Every gestational surrogate receives term life insurance valued at $250,000 or more provided by the intended parents. You are certainly welcome to request a higher coverage level and our affiliated insurance agents can get a bigger policy in place for you, paid for by your Intended Parents.
WHY SHOULD I TRUST THE SURROGACY CENTER OF PHILADELPHIA TO ARRANGE MY SURROGATE COMPENSATION?
The Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia has well over a decade of experience working with and compensating surrogates. All of your expenses are covered per the terms of your Gestational Carrier Agreement. We use a completely independent, fully licensed, bonded and insured escrow agency that will hold, protect, and disburse your payments to you by direct deposit within 48 hours of any request for funds.
WHO PAYS MY TRAVEL EXPENSES?
When you work with the Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia, we work exclusively with local clinics in Philadelphia, New Jersey and in Pennsylvania overall. Therefore, having to go through the hassle of long-distance travel is not something you’ll likely have to deal with. It’s one of the benefits of working with a local Philadelphia surrogacy agency! However, in the rare case, that travel is required, all of your travel expenses are covered.
HOW DO I GET PAID AS A SURROGATE?
Compensation is an integral part of becoming a surrogate. When you choose to become a gestational surrogate, you and the intended parent or parents will sign a detailed contract called a “gestational carrier agreement” that explains all the compensation you will receive. You can log in to your escrow account online whenever you wish to see what has been paid thus far and what is still owed to you. Every month, you will receive a direct deposit from the escrow company with your base compensation and allowances. Any reimbursements (ex. copayment on a OB visit) are disbursed to you within 48 hours.
WHAT KIND OF WOMEN BECOME SURROGATES?
We hear about surrogates and what they do. However, not every woman is fit to be a surrogate, and that’s okay. Surrogacy is an individual decision, and we ensure that every person who comes to the Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia is screened carefully before being accepted. Safety is always our number one priority. Surrogates come from all walks of life, whether they are stay-at-home parents, lawyers, teachers, or nurses. What unites all of these women is that they are all experienced mothers who have a strong desire to help someone else build their family. While you are compensated for being a surrogate, it is by far not the only reason to become a gestational carrier (and shouldn’t be). If you enjoy being pregnant, want to experience the joy of pregnancy again, and want to give the precious gift of life, please consider becoming a surrogate.