Posted by Isabel Cowles to FindingDulcinea
As surrogate motherhood becomes increasingly accepted across the United States, military wives have signed up in record numbers to help infertile women have children.
“I get great satisfaction out of being able to help someone who can’t have a child by themselves,” said one military wife who has mothered six surrogate children.
Despite the apparently altruistic motives of many surrogates, there are concerns that military wives are becoming surrogate mothers for financial reasons.
According to a recent Newsweek article, surrogate motherhood “is an act of love, but also a financial transaction.”
“The military’s main medical provider, TRICARE, is one of the few health care insurers nationwide that doesn’t ban coverage for surrogate pregnancies. By hiring a woman with TRICARE benefits, intended parents avoid paying about $20,000 for a standard surrogacy medical policy. They also dodge deductibles and co-payments,” The San Diego Tribune reports. As a result, many military spouses command a higher fee than other surrogates.
Aside from putting pressure on the TRICARE system, some are concerned that military wives’ decision to become surrogate mothers could inspire domestic violence and create new complications for military families already struggling with the stress of deployment.
Find out more at FindingDulcinea.com