Surrogacy By State

How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in Iowa?


Growing your family through surrogacy is a beautiful and rewarding process, but the cost of surrogacy in Iowa can be somewhat concerning.

Prospective parents should know that there are many pathways available to them that make surrogacy financially accessible; one of the options discussed in this article could be right for your family.

Throughout this article, we’ll break down the fees involved in surrogacy and strategies to deal with them. When you’re ready to begin your journey, contact us for help connecting to supportive professionals.

How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in Iowa?

Costs of surrogacy in Iowa are usually between $150,000-179,000+. Your choice of professionals – Surrogacy agencies, attorneys and more – will probably be the biggest factor in determining your overall price.

The price of surrogacy can be shocking for some intended parents. While it is undoubtedly expensive, don’t be too discouraged by costs. There are plenty of resources and strategies to help you make surrogacy an affordable option for your family.

Before we move on, here’s a quick breakdown of what you’re paying for with surrogacy, and why it’s important. 

Surrogacy agencies facilitate your process, and take care of a huge chunk of the technical work so you won’t have to. These fees cover things like coordination, support, matching services and more.

Surrogates undertake a huge responsibility and physical endeavor that could impact their body for years. This expense compensates them and reimburses them for maternity clothes, lost wages and more.

Both you and the surrogate need legal representation, to ensure everyone’s rights are protected. This fee also covers contract drafting.

Some agencies screen prospective surrogates before matching them with families. This helps keep complications from coming up unexpectedly during the surrogacy process.

These fees cover the cost of various procedures needed during this process, such as fertility treatments for the surrogate, the embryo transfer, delivery costs and other medical interventions.

Some costs like travel expenses, lost wages and costs related to pregnancy complications are hard to predict and can change based on your situation. 

 

An Example Surrogacy Cost Breakdown in Iowa

Your choice of surrogacy professional will also likely determine how your funds are used. Different professionals have different strategies and priorities within the surrogacy process, and adjust their fees accordingly. Here’s an example of a fee structure from a hypothetical surrogacy agency:

ServiceCost
Agency Fees21%
Surrogate Compensation35%
Screening and Matching21%
Legal Costs11%
Medical Costs12%

No one knows your family’s circumstances better than you do, and you deserve to work with professionals that value and respect your opinion, and take your specific situation into account. If you’d like help connecting with like-minded professionals, contact us today.

What’s a Realistic Income for Surrogacy?

There are no income requirements for surrogacy; anyone with the funds can go through the process. While a higher income will help pay the costs of surrogacy, the price is much more accessible to lower wage families than it may seem at first.

Some seem to think surrogacy is only available to the wealthy, but this is a misconception. Families built by surrogacy come from all kinds of different economic backgrounds. While surrogacy is undoubtedly expensive, direct income is not the only method of fundraising available to intended parents.

What Value Do You Get for the Costs of Surrogacy?

Surrogacy is a complicated process, and for intended parents how their funds are being spent can be hard to keep track of. When you work with a surrogacy agency, your funding comes back to you in the form of beneficial services you may otherwise not have access to:

When considering the cost of surrogacy, make sure to ask any agency you are working with about their wait times, screening standards and financial protection.

Understanding the Cost of Surrogacy in Iowa

The fees that make up the overall cost of surrogacy in Iowa can be complicated. Let’s break down a few of the more important items to help understand the whole process better.

Remember, if a professional quotes you an overly optimistic price, this may be an indicator that they are hiding parts of their fees. You may end up paying more in the long run when working with less reputable professionals.

How Much Does Surrogacy Cost with Insurance in Iowa?

 Insurance can be an important consideration in surrogacy. While most insurance policies either don’t mention or specifically exclude surrogate expenses, some policies will cover surrogate medical costs, or even a portion of the surrogate’s compensation.

If your insurance policy doesn’t cover surrogate costs, and your surrogate doesn’t have her own insurance, you may need to purchase additional insurance in your surrogate’s name.

Working with your surrogate professional will be very beneficial to this part of your process – some of the best agencies will even purchase the surrogacy insurance at no additional cost to you.

How Much Does a Surrogate Cost in Iowa?

Surrogacy compensation in Iowa is typically between $50,000 and $70,000+. This may end up being lower once the cost of living in the surrogate’s area is factored in.

Your surrogate is compensated both to cover the costs of pregnancy, and to thank her for her dedication. Surrogate compensation helps to cover

How Much Does IVF and Surrogacy Cost?

In Iowa, IVF costs between $18,000 and $24,000, with additional expenses to go through more than one cycle.  Some of these costs may be covered under your insurance, or your employee benefits.

When considering surrogacy, it’s best to start IVF early if possible. Completing IVF before beginning your surrogacy process is ideal, and will go a long ways towards minimizing your wait times.

Some surrogacy agencies don’t include the cost of IVF in their price estimates. Don’t forget to factor IVF into your process when you’re making a financial plan for surrogacy.

Affording Surrogacy in Iowa

Surrogacy is expensive, but with the right combination of financial resources and budgeting, most families with consistent income can find an accessible path through the process. Let’s go through some of the financial strategies that could make surrogacy viable for your family.

How to Pay for Surrogacy

Here are a few actions you can take today to begin setting your surrogacy up for financial success:

Many intended parents save for years, little by little, in order to afford surrogacy.

If you have any profitable investments like long-term mutual funds, these could take care of much of the costs.

Homeowners can take out a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). This method is often overlooked, but it comes highly recommended by economists.

Many charitable organizations offer grants to intended parents. This can be an impactful supplement to assist your budget.

Some companies offer adoption assistance, which can often be extended to surrogacy. Some companies even offer surrogacy-specific benefits.

There are also loans available for intended parents. Surrogacy professionals may offer a financing plan, or they may work with partner organizations like Sunfish or FutureFamily. Be aware of predatory lending and high interest rates. Consult a surrogacy professional for more information and personalized advice. 

Surrogacy Agencies in Iowa

Surrogacy agencies are professional organizations that aim to take some of the burden of surrogacy off of you, so you can focus on building your family. This might mean taking care of legal concerns, setting up medical appointments or purchasing additional insurance.  If you’re looking for an agency in Iowa, here’s a few we recommend:

Fertility Clinics in Iowa

Fertility clinics are central in surrogacy journeys. Working with attentive and caring professionals can make all the difference for your growing family. If you’re looking for fertility clinics in Iowa, here are a few we recommend:

When Can I Get Started?

While your surrogacy timeline is up to you, there’s nothing keeping you from starting today. There are plenty of ways to make this process simple and accessible, but the best thing you can do to move towards your surrogacy goal is to get in touch with a knowledgeable professional. Let us help you connect to the people who will help you build your family – contact us today.

Male and Female couple smiling with surrogate mother
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