Babies and Insurance

[mommajones]

I am debating with someone and need some help from previous surros!!

How normal is it for the babies to be put on the surrogate's insurance policy?

How common is it for international IP's to put babies on surrogate's insurance?


If you did allow it---why?


When Kyle was born, he went on my FIP's insurance policy.

[cousinmommy]

As far as I'm concerned they should never go on the surro's insurance.

If there is a PBO then the baby can't go on the surro anyway. You can't insure a child that isn't yours. If you're not listed as the mother and don't have some sort of guardianship then you wouldn't be able to insure the baby.

If there is not a PBO in place then I don't really know what can be done. I just know that the IPs should find insurance or work out a self pay arrangement. It shouldn't get put off on the surro, especially since the maternity already does. If the surro had a policy paid for by the IPs then that might be a little different to put the baby on it.

[tm501]

I've NEVER put the baby on my insurance. I've had IP's from England and Greece and they have all set up payment at the hospital when I was in labor. I wouldn't ever put the baby on my insurance becasue it just seems wrong - I'm not sure if it is considered fraud (I would think so)

[TxMom]

My first surrogacy I had Kaiser (self pay) in Ohio. They said they'd cover the baby's 2 day hospital stay as was normal but after that if I wanted to add the baby I'd have to do that, which of course I didn't. But they did cover the baby's normal 2 day stay.

Surrogacy #2 they admitted the baby as her own patient and she went onto IF's insurance for the stay.

I would never ever add a baby to my insurance that wasn't mine. I believe there's an agency that tells surrogates they have to add international IPs' babies to their policy and that's wrong.

[Catie62577]

You can only add your own children to your insurance, since the baby/babies are not yours then you can't add them. Well, you could, but it would be considered fraud so I'd recommend you didn't.

I've heard of an agency that tells surros its ok to add them for international IP's as well. Personally, I wouldn't work with that agency or any agency that asked me to commit fraud.

[twinsmom4]

Never, never, never

[LauraElizabeth]

Not normal!!!

The twins went on my insurance- TRICARE(!!) and of course Tricare said no way are we paying a thing and they denied it and then I got the bills. I had to call them, my IPs had to call them, we both had to sign and return ppwk. And yes we did have a PBO and no it didn't matter. Surrogacy is not common in my hospital and we don't know if they made an error or completely disregarded all ppwk and information.

(Before anyone gets crazy about the Tricare- yes I have Tricare, but no they didn't pay for the surrogacy, but as policy, all charges are billed to them and then denied and then billed to my IPs.)

[meredith]

Surro babies never go on surro insurance. That is fraud. Surro babies are their parents responsibility.

[luvmy4]

Nope, never gonna happen for me. My surrobabe's go on my IP's insurance, and if they don't have coverage prior to delivery, the hospital has all of their information so that it can all be handled. The babies do NOT go on my insurance.

[mommajones]

thanks....I at least feel better that my part of the argument was soooo right. I would NEVER allow a surrogate child on my insurance either. I just hate when people try and pull crap and think they are not doing something wrong!

[awalruff]

I walked away from an agency and match because of this... I'm glad I went with my gut and searched for a new agency and couple. I'm sure we are all talking about the same agency.

[pixieheart]

All my surrobabies were put on my insurance until they were discharged from the hospital.

But things were a little different a couple of times:

First surrobaby was born at a small town hospital. She was very sick and needed to be transferred to Childrens Hospital in a town about 45 minutes. The baby was put on my insurance until she was discharged from my hospital. She was put on my IPs insurance when she was admitted to Childrens.

The next two surobabies were born at a Good Sam in Cincinnati. Everything was put under my insurance.

My last surrobaby, again, was put on my insurance. There were a couple of charges from Childrens Hospital because Good Sam uses Childrens as their pediatric doctors for babies without a set doctor when they are born. Childrens did set up things for those charges to go to IPs insurance.

All babies were born and named "baby girl Bolin", "girl bolin", or some generic name with my last name.

I do know that if any of the babies would have needed NICU, then I would have made IPs go to billing and switch the insurance on the baby that instance so those costs wouldn't have gone to my insurance but that was never needed. Thank goodness.


It all worked out each time and no questions from insurance.

***all right, I went back and read a few posts. A few more things. We did have prebirth orders for each of the babies and the hospital had copies each time. At the small town hospita, I was a first surrogate for them and they were so confused about everything. At Good Sam, we did try to get billing switched to IPs but billing just couldn't get a grasp on of it. They have had many many surrogates go through that hospital so they are familiar with surrogacy but they just kept on billing us. So this is what we did and we were all comfortable with it. My IPs always paid all co-pays or anything needed. It is all done and over with so what is done is done and over with.

[TxMom]

Beth they didn't go on your insurance, your insurance just covered the standard days of care after birth like mine did. My last surrogacy BC would've covered the 2 day stay as well but IF wanted it on his insurance. That's not adding them to the insurance though.

[ChristinaMarie]

When I started my paperwork for being a GS I had to call my insurance about this because I was not sure and by no means I will not have a surro babe on my insurance if I do get this opportunity, but my insurance said I could put the baby on my insurance for up to 30 days. I am assuming that means it is not fraud if the insurance company is stating the surro baby can go on?? Like I said I will not be doing it only because this child will not be mine but I do have the option....

[cousinmommy]

When I started my paperwork for being a GS I had to call my insurance about this because I was not sure and by no means I will not have a surro babe on my insurance if I do get this opportunity, but my insurance said I could put the baby on my insurance for up to 30 days. I am assuming that means it is not fraud if the insurance company is stating the surro baby can go on?? Like I said I will not be doing it only because this child will not be mine but I do have the option....

It might not be a legitimate option. It can be a gray area. It's possible they didn't really understand what you were asking (which happens a lot when it comes to surrogacy questions) and were just giving the standard answer. You can generally have any of your children covered for 30 days after birth but then you need to add them to continue the coverage. That doesn't mean they wouldn't deny charges later if it was a surrobabe. THe thing is if a PBO is in place then the parents should be able to just add them to their own insurance, thus no reason or issue with using a surro's. If they don't have their own insurance then ask them why. I know things get a little different sometimes with international IPs but any U.S. IPs with their own insurance can add that child to their own insurance as soon as they are born. If they don't have their own insurance then they need to get it. It's enough that we use our own policy for the maternity. If we have our insurance cover a surrobabe (or multiples) and there are problems, which means lots of extra charges, then that counts against our own family's lifetime max of coverage. It's not worth it in case something would happen with us or our children.