My most important asset is my advocacy piece.  With egg donations, I can help widen the potential donor pool. This cuts down on wait time while also increasing the likelihood of getting the requested genetic attributes from donors. I can also help patients maximize dollars by reviewing insurance coverage and drug benefits.

To read more about the benefits of hiring a fertility consultant, click here for the full article.

Thank you!

A growing number of medical societies, health plans, academic institutions, public health officials and others have recognized the need for healthcare providers to receive special training on how to meet the unique healthcare needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals. This fall, the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) is hosting the 27th Annual Conference of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association to address this need.

I am honored to be one of the featured speakers at this event discussing how gay and lesbian families can navigate the alternative family building journey through surrogacy.

The conference will be held on September 30 – October 3, 2009 at the Westin Washington, DC, City Center.  It is the world’s largest scientific meeting focusing on LGBT health, healthcare delivery, workplace discrimination, and healthcare education and offers up to 18 hours of continuing education for healthcare professionals. In addition to rich educational offerings, the conference provides ample opportunities to meet and socialize with other healthcare professionals, students and GLMA members.

More information about the Annual Conference, including a preliminary program of educational offerings, is available at www.glma.org/annualconference.

So it comes as no surprise that the United States has become the preferred country for surrogacy among international prospective parents.  Some of the primary reasons I am seeing from some of my international clients are as follows:

•    Many European countries restrict couples from being able to explore surrogacy
•    European countries often restrict the number of embryos that can be created
Doesn’t allow for opportunity to create future genetic siblings
Doesn’t provide a back-up plan if the first IVF attempt is not successful
With the cost of IVF being so high, multiple attempts at continued retrievals may exceed financial reserves
Frozen embryo transfers can often defray some of these costs
•    In some countries, like Israel, surrogacy is restricted to married heterosexual couples. So gay couples are coming into the U.S. for help in having biological children of their own.”
•    Advanced technologies are superior in US
•    Economic recession has some U.S.-based clinics offering money back guarantees in the event a successful pregnancy is not achieved
•    Favorable exchange rates have made it attractive in this economy to explore services in the U.S.
•    Some programs are offering comprehensive packages to help international clients locate resources for their surrogacy arrangements in house
Streamlines the process with coordination all in one place
Identifies insurance protections and policies to mitigate financial risk factors during pregnancy or in the unlikely event of a catastrophe
Interpreters available well versed in medical and legal diction
Work closely with immigration attorneys to accomplish the necessary paperwork for visas, passports, birth certificates and social security status.

As the nation celebrates this occasion, it is a good time to bring an important issue to the forefront – alternative family building. As noted in a past USA Today article, there is an estimated six to 12 million children in the U.S. who have a lesbian or gay parent. And an increasing number of same-sex couples are looking to expand their families.

Unfortunately, there are even more obstacles for gay couples when trying to start their own families due to the political and legal issues involved. It is important to financially, physically and emotionally prepare for a challenging road ahead. Gay couples also must enlist an attorney to draw up contracts that protect not only themselves, but also their biological offspring. Often adoption or co-parenting agreements need to be accomplished.

Cost is another factor to consider. Insurance benefits for surrogacy and/or IVF treatments are often restricted since same sex couples do not meet the insurance’s companies definition of “infertility.”

And sadly, discrimination is widespread. Same sex families are denied the benefits and protections of a marriage in most states.

For Citywide PRIDE month in Chicago, I have teamed with UBS and PricewaterhouseCoopers to help gay and lesbian couples plan and prepare for parenthood. I will be leading a FREE session titled, “Conceivable Options: Alternative Family Building ” Details are as follows:

Date: Thursday June 18, 2009
Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm. Lunch will be served.
Location: UBS Tower, 38th Floor, 1 North Wacker Drive, Chicago

RSVP: By June 15, 2009 at http://citywidepride.info/events.html

Topics will include understanding insurance benefits (if available), how to enlist your human resources department to determine what benefits they may be able to provide and how to identify egg donors and surrogates from “surrogate friendly” states. The discussion will conclude with tips for how to financially plan and prepare for treatment, and a Q&A session.

Please try to join me! If you’re not in the Chicago area, e-mail me. I am happy to share my presentation notes with you, or discuss options over the telephone.