From The Fertility Institutes; California &
Nevada
| The Fertility Institutes Home Page | Welcome to the surrogate information pages of the Fertility Institutes.
We hope that both prospective couples considering a surrogate, as well as
potential surrogates will find the information presented in these pages very
different from the type of surrogacy "information" offered at other web sites.
We are different from many others with web sites dealing with surrogacy.
We are a private, multi-office medical practice, dealing exclusively
with infertility and surrogacy. We are not a surrogate or egg donor agency.
Not that there is anything wrong with being involved with surrogacy or egg
donors as an agency. Many agencies do a fine job of providing surrogates
and donors. It is just that the nature of the information we hope to convey
to you on our web site relates primarily to helping you undersrtand the
medical aspects of surrogacy, and all that it involves. Couples and
surrogates that are matched through our program are united through the efforts
of the dedicated medical staff in our offices, with well over a decade of
successful experience in surrogacy and egg donation. You will find that the
information presented here is aimed at providing you with a foundation of
knowledge from which you can make informed decisions regarding surrogacy.
The Fertility Institutes maintain office locations in Southern and Central California, in Nevada and in Guadalajara, Mexico. Surrogates are utilized and provided in each of our U.S. locations. We are associated with the most experienced surrogacy attorneys in the United States as well as with highly qualified counselors that assist in the surrogacy process. Unlike agencies, our surrogacy program is private. We do not supply surrogates to outside fertility practices, nor do we refer our patients out to a wide variety of fertility medical practices, hospitals, clinics and laboratories. Once enrolled in our program, both couples and surrogates can rest assured their safety and privacy are watched over in a discreet, well managed manner by a team that has been working together for years. We invite you to look over the surrogacy section of our site and to browse the other, informative areas linked to these and our other pages. As always, if you have questions beyond the scope of this site, or would just like to talk about additional concerns or details, feel free to call our toll free surrogacy information hotline number at : (800) 222-2802 |
How do we begin? |
The first step in the surrogacy process for couples involves contacting our office and speaking with one of our nurse coordinators. This no obligation phone call is very important, as the information gathered by us will usually allow us to determine your eligibility and suitability for our program. We will answer any questions you may have, ask you a few questions, and provide you with information about the availability of surrogates that may be of interest to you. If you decide to schedule a consultation (the "next" step), we will also provide you instructions for having your past fertility and health treatment records, if any, forwarded to us for our review prior to your office visit. If traveling from out of State or abroad, we can often arrange for you to meet and see all of those that will be involved in your plans (physicians, embryologists, attorney) all over the course of a long weekend (Friday-Sunday). For those that would also like to meet with potential surrogates at the same time , a non-refundable deposit will be required in advance of your visit so that the surrogates may be present. The request to have surrogates available for the first visit is only available for couples arriving from out of town. |
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Is a consultation required? |
Yes. The nature and style of the consultations on surrogacy that we offer is varied. Because in many instances, the need for a surrogate is medically quite obvious, while in other situations, there may be many medical details to be considered before deciding on surrogacy, a variety of consultations are offered. If you have been involved with a fertility specialist that has now recommended surrogacy, a telephone conversation between your physician and ours may allow for a rapid understanding of your medical situation, and your consultation may be planned to prepare you for a surrogate match and plan your treatment details. If you have begun to consider a surrogate based on your personal understanding of your situation, your consultation will include a detailed review of your medical situation as well as a discussion on surrogacy. Prior to deciding upon and beginning surrogacy planning arrangements in these instances, any medical details essential to offering you the optimal chance for success will be gone over and finalized. For out of town or country patients, telephone consultations with our nurse coordinators may, in some instances, allow for the early details of your surrogacy match to be begun. In other instances, you may be asked to speak directly with our physicians prior to the planning stage of your treatment. The availability of physician specialists (reproductive endocrinologists, urologists, embryologists, andrologists) IN the office allows ALL details of your situation to be gone over by the fertility team. With all of your records maintained and treatments carried out in one place, there is no need to travel from location to location to arrange and carry out your treatment cycle. We are one of the ONLY surrogacy centers providing both surrogates and medical care in one, centralized location. |
| Where do you obtain your surrogates? | Having now been involved with surrogacy for many years, we find that many of the potential surrogates that contact us do so after being referred by a woman who has served as a surrogate in our program or in other programs. We maintain multiple office locations in geographical areas where many potential surrogates live and/or work. The convenience of local care and treatment attracts many surrogates to our facilities. We are active in the surrogate community through lectures we offer to women considering serving as surrogates. We are contacted through internet sources that channel interested potential surrogates our way based upon our excellent reputation for providing quality care to surrogates. This care is offered without placing excessive travel and time demands upon the surrogates as some programs do. |
| Why should we consider your program before others? | You shouldn't !! We would only ask that you consider our program along with any others that you may have an interest in. Your greatest benefit may be derived from viewing our program last. Unlike some other programs, we do not speak or think ill of competing programs. In fact, it is our feeling that there are many high quality "agency" programs (we are not an agency, but a medical practice), "pure" agencies and independent health care providrs in the community offering surrogacy services to couples. We have found that as couples "shop" our competitors, they learn that while high quality surrogacy services may be available with a few good programs, these services by our competitors are offered at double or triple the fees found at our practice. They also learn that this price difference is attributable largely to fees for services termed "Center fees", and surrogate recruitment and surrogate psychological profiling "costs". These fees run into the tens of thousands of dollars. So, we encourage couples considering surrogacy to explore all of the options and resources available to them, while keeping in mind that our state-of-the-art surrogacy program offers just as good or better a chance of successful outcome at less than half the cost of most other programs. This cost savings does not arise from ANY compromise of medical care. The discount arises from a total absence of descript and nondescript "fees", recruitment charges and surcharges levied upon couples making what we view as great sacrifices in their quest to obtain a successful pregnancy. |
| What are the legal issues involved, and how are they handled? | The legalities of surrogacy vary from state to state and nation to nation. We have provided a link here to a site that monitors the progress of legal initiatives attempting to establish a standard for surrogacy among states and nations: http://www.surrogacy.com/legals/map.html This site also provide outlines of current U.S. laws by State in this regard. California has been and continues to be one of, if not the most tolerant and medicolegally well advised states and jurisdictions related to the rights of parents to their children. Attorneys working with our Center were responsible for many of the original legal arguments and decisions that established a nationwide precedent for the recognition of the rights of parents whose child is delivered by a surrogate in California. When your surrogacy arrangements are being formulated by our experienced staff, legal counselors will become involved with your case, and will oversee the draft of a binding legal contract between you and your chosen surrogate. These efforts are aimed at assuring that the couple, the surrogate and most important, the resulting child are afforded all the protections of the law overseeing the issues involved. |
| Is there an additional (sur)charge for foreign or out of State parents? | No !! While additional expenses may be incurred related to immigration details and the final disposition of the child, these expenses are paid directly to the person(s) providing the services (surrogacy or immigration attorneys, etc.). We do not financially penalize any couple based upon their place of residence. There is never a foreign or out of State surcharge imposed by us. On occasion, where extensive paperwork or consultations were required to allow for a temporary visa to be issued for medical care, we charge only a modest per hour service fee at our cost for those extra efforts made by us on behalf of a patient. |
| Will insurance cover any of the expenses? | Insurance coverage for surrogacy expenses is usually limited to covered obstetrical expenses of the surrogate. In some instance, if pre-approved by your insurance company, certain fees related to the establishment of your embros (ie; in vitro fertilization) may be covered. Due to the extreme variability in different coverage plans and the scarcity of plans that cover such arrangements, potential patients are advised not to expect any major insurance assistance with surrogacy expenses. Payment for our heavily discounted program is required in advance, regardless of any insurance benefits that may be available. Insurance billing is a patient responsibility. Once your child has been delivered, your obstetrical benefit coverage, if applicable, will cover the expenses of your child while in the newborn nursery. |
| How often does gestational surrogacy "work"? | 45 % of our surrogate cycles result in pregnancy on the first attempt. Following the completion of 2 attempts, 72 % of surrogates have become pregnant. It should be remembered that the structure of the payments in our program allow for repeat cycles at significantly reduced fees. In addition, most of the cost of the first cycle includes the surrogate becoming pregnant and delivering the baby. If conception does not occur on the first attempt, the surrogate compensation is only for that part of the program that she has completed. The remaining money destined for payment to the surrogate covering the term of the pregnancy and the delivery remains in trust for a successful cycle, or is refunded to the couple should they elect not to try a repeat attempt. Nearly every couple that "sticks with it" related to surrogacy attempts ultimately achieves a health pregnancy. |