For individuals and couples embarking on the surrogacy journey to start or add to their families, one of the biggest hurdles is cost. When intended parents are lucky enough to have insurance coverage for the procedure, it can remove the burden of financial stress. While couples in the U.K. previously had coverage through the National Health Service (NHS), such benefits were not historically available to same-sex couples who wanted to use surrogacy.

However, in a recent policy change, the NHS in Scotland is now providing insurance coverage for treatments when same-sex male couples use surrogacy. This shift does not appear to have been formally announced. Instead, a same-sex couple in Scotland shared the policy change inadvertently when they posted online looking for an egg donor, stating “Our NHS clinic don’t have any anonymous egg donors, they advised us we would need to find a known egg donor. Any suggestions how to go about it?”

LGBTQ advocacy groups in the U.K. applauded the new coverage, as it will help ensure everyone in Scotland has equal access to fertility treatments that can help them become parents. Individuals or couples who want to take advantage of these benefits should know that, regardless of their sexual orientation, they must find their own surrogates.

Whether you have insurance coverage that will pay for some or all of your fertility treatments or not, it is important to adequately protect yourself from potential risks that can come with surrogacy arrangements.

At The Surrogacy Law Center, we advice and counsel clients on a variety of matters related to egg, sperm, and embryo donation, and surrogacy. When you work with an experienced reproductive rights attorney, you can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have contractually protected your rights. To learn more, contact us today!