Being a Surrogate Costs You Nothing: Every Expense Intended Parents Cover (The Complete List)

Here's a question we get on almost every intake call, usually asked a little sheepishly: "So... what does this cost me?" And here's the answer, in full: nothing. Not the screening, not the medications, not the lawyer, not the hospital bill, not the gas to get there. A properly run surrogacy journey costs the surrogate zero dollars out of pocket — and if any agency or arrangement asks you to front costs, that is a flashing red warning light. Let's walk through the complete list.

Medical: 100% Covered, Always

• All screening costs — medical records review, physical exam, labs, ultrasound, psychological evaluation, background checks (yours and your partner's)
• Every medication — from the first birth control pill to the last progesterone shot, shipped to your door, paid before it ships (see our medication guide for what's involved)
• All monitoring, transfer, prenatal, and delivery costs — premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance. Whether your own insurance is used or a policy is purchased for you, intended parents pay every cent (how the insurance works)
• A life insurance policy on you — typically $250,000–$500,000 of term coverage protecting your family for the duration of the journey

Legal: Your Lawyer, Their Bill

You get your own independent attorney to review your contract — chosen to represent you, not the intended parents. They pay the bill; the loyalty is entirely yours. This isn't generosity, it's how ethical surrogacy is structured, and courts expect it.

Life Logistics: The Stuff People Forget to Count

• Travel — flights, hotels, meals, and mileage for screening and transfer trips, plus a companion's travel
• Lost wages — for you AND your partner when journey obligations take you away from work, including the gap between disability pay and your real income after delivery (how it works with a full-time job)
• Childcare and housekeeping — for appointments, bed rest, and recovery
• Maternity clothes — a dedicated allowance (typically $500–$1,000)
• Monthly allowance — a few hundred dollars each month for the small stuff: prenatal vitamins, parking, co-pays for anything incidental, so you're never chasing $12 receipts

How the Money Actually Flows (So You're Never Owed)

All of this is funded before your journey begins into a licensed escrow account managed by a neutral third party. You don't invoice the intended parents or wait on their checkbook — escrow disburses on the contract schedule, automatically. That structure is exactly why "the intended parents stopped paying" horror stories come almost exclusively from unescrowed arrangements.

The Honest Gray Areas

We promised the complete picture, so here are the only two things that can touch a surrogate's wallet — both manageable:

• Taxes on compensation. Your base compensation may be taxable income — reimbursements generally aren't. Plan for it up front with our tax guide and a CPA.
• Timing gaps. Occasionally you'll pay a $30 copay and get reimbursed two weeks later. Good agencies minimize this with the monthly allowance; keep receipts and it all comes back.

And remember: all of this coverage sits on top of your base compensation — which at OFG you set yourself. Wondering if you qualify? The 2-minute quiz is the place to start.