Why should I use an agency?
We know that many Intended Parents needing a surrogate come to this process as their last resort. Then you are hit with the amount of cost involved in this process, just that alone is a lot to take in. That’s why this blog will address why to use an agency and things you should consider if you decide to go the independent route.
· Pre-screening Surrogates: While not true for all agencies, Bright Futures Families screens surrogates before matching. Agencies use this screening to present the best possible candidates and those they think are most likely to pass your clinic’s physical screening. Not to mention evaluating if you will be a good match for each other and all that entails.
o Gathering all birth pregnancy and recent OB records. Those records are then reviewed in-house and by a reproductive endocrinologist.
o Background checks are done for all adults living in the house.
o Review of Health Insurance and the coverage for the surrogacy pregnancy.
o Personal interview in home or by video.
o Psychological evaluation by a mental health professional familiar with surrogacy and what all this process entails.
o Paperwork of a lengthy application, medical releases, and other needed items.
· Experience: This is our job and use our previous experience every day while working with Intended Parents, Surrogates, Clinics, Lawyers, Escrow, etc. Bright Futures Families has over 25+ years of combined experience in this industry and personal experience.
o We want your journey to be as smooth and stress-free as possible
o We can give helpful tips and tricks during different parts of the process
o We understand the journey and the steps along the way, helping manage expectations and being ready for what comes next.
· Coordination and support throughout the process
o Case Management – We are here to help you! Whether that be helping set up appointments for screening or monitoring, booking travel, coordinating with the clinic, or sending information to the hospital before the birth – we are here matching through 6 months past the birth when escrow is typically closed.
o Escrow - The agency is another set of eyes in helping manage money and reimbursements through escrow, even setting up the escrow account. This includes checking bills for insurance billing, double-checking the contract, and that the reimbursement applies, and that there is enough funding. Just to name a few of the things that go into escrow and the reimbursement/payment part of the process.
o Support/conflict - With so many things happening within the journey and in life, there are times when there are disagreements or items that you may not want to discuss directly with each other. The agency can act as an intermediary, there to help with difficult situations or just to answer questions about the process along the way.
o Insurance – reviewing, enrolling, and keeping track of when policies need to be put into place. We can even help put in applications for insurance depending on the situation.
o Legal – While we are not lawyers and do not give legal advice we can help point in the right direction with ART Lawyer referrals, providing the lawyers with the information needed for the contract and notifying everyone when it is time for the Pre/Post Birth Order process.
Still not convinced an agency is the way you want to experience the surrogacy journey, that’s ok. Here are a few things to consider if you decide to go independent:
· Bright Futures Families does offer concierge services, check that out here.
· Will your clinic work with you and your surrogate as an independent match? (Some will not and just want you to be aware).
· Each side should have their own legal representation in the state in which the surrogate lives.
· Use a third-party escrow account – even if you are friends and family, you do not want money to be the stressor in the relationship during this amazing process
· The surrogate’s health insurance should be professionally reviewed to make sure that it will or won’t cover the surrogacy pregnancy or that it has a lien involved.