Fertility treatment has become more common in the United States, and California continues to make changes that affect how people access care. New fertility insurance requirements took effect in 2026, while advances in treatment give intended parents more options for creating and preserving embryos.
Surrogacy has evolved alongside fertility care. Intended parents are coming to surrogacy agencies from different family-building circumstances, and prospective surrogates have more information available about screening, compensation and what participation involves. California’s established surrogacy laws also provide a defined legal process for both parties.
Fertility Treatment Continues To Evolve
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the medical basis of gestational surrogacy. An embryo, the small group of cells that forms when a sperm fertilizes an egg, is created through IVF and transferred to a gestational surrogate. What has changed is how much more control and information sit around that transfer than a decade ago.
Freezing embryos is now quite common, so many intended parents arrive at an agency with embryos already banked instead of starting from scratch. Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), once a specialized add-on, has moved toward routine: its use in IVF cycles roughly tripled between 2014 and 2019. Single-embryo transfer has largely replaced the older practice of transferring several at once, which means safer pregnancies for surrogates and healthier outcomes for babies.
The screening side has tightened too. A prospective surrogate still completes medical screening and a review of her pregnancy history before a transfer is scheduled, but the standards are more consistent and better documented than they were, which protects everyone in the arrangement.
Egg And Embryo Freezing Have Become More Common
The growth of fertility preservation has changed when some people make decisions about future parenthood.
Of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) cycles reported to the CDC in 2022, 184,423 involved egg or embryo banking for future use. ART includes medical treatments and procedures that handle eggs, sperm, or embryos outside the body to help achieve a pregnancy. Some people choose to preserve eggs before medical treatment that affects fertility or because having children is not part of their immediate plans. Embryos can also be created and frozen for later transfer.
This has practical implications for surrogacy. Some intended parents begin looking into agencies with embryos already stored at a fertility clinic. Others contact an agency much earlier. There is no need to wait until every part of fertility treatment is complete to start learning how surrogacy works.
California Expanded Fertility Insurance Requirements In 2026
One of the more recent changes in California involves insurance coverage.
Senate Bill 729 expanded fertility and infertility coverage requirements for applicable health plans beginning in 2026. Certain plans must provide coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF. The definition of infertility was also expanded to include circumstances that do not depend on a traditional medical diagnosis.
The law does not mean that every Californian now has identical fertility benefits, nor does IVF coverage automatically mean all expenses associated with surrogacy are covered. Intended parents still need to verify their individual policy and understand which parts of treatment fall within their benefits.
Insurance also comes up on the surrogate side. Coverage for a surrogate pregnancy needs to be reviewed as part of the planning process rather than assumed based on an existing health plan.
California Has An Established Legal Process For Gestational Surrogacy
While insurance requirements have recently changed, California’s legal framework for gestational surrogacy is well established.
California law sets requirements for surrogacy agreements and parentage. The surrogate and intended parents must have separate attorneys, and the agreement must be completed before the surrogate begins injectable medication in preparation for an embryo transfer or undergoes the transfer itself.
The separate-attorney requirement means each party receives legal advice from someone representing their own interests. The agreement addresses the responsibilities and expectations established between the intended parents and surrogate before treatment proceeds.
California law also allows the parentage process to begin before the baby’s birth. When the statutory requirements are satisfied, a court can issue an order establishing the intended parent or parents as the child’s legal parents.
For someone considering becoming a surrogate, these protections are important to understand before signing an agreement. Intended parents likewise have an opportunity to review their responsibilities with their own attorney rather than relying on information from the agency or another party.
Surrogacy Now Serves Families With Many Different Walks Of Life
There is no single profile of an intended parent pursuing surrogacy in California.
Some have spent years in fertility treatment before considering a gestational surrogate. For others, surrogacy is part of their family-building plan much earlier. Single intended parents and LGBTQ+ families also use gestational surrogacy to have children.
The embryos used in a surrogate pregnancy do not all come from the same sources, either. Depending on the intended parents, embryos may be created using their own eggs or sperm or with the help of a donor.
Using both an egg donor and gestational surrogate adds another set of people and medical steps to the process. Intended parents considering that option can learn more about how egg donation and surrogacy work together.
Prospective Surrogates Have More To Consider Than Compensation
Compensation is understandably one of the first subjects many prospective surrogates research. It is important, but it does not tell you what the full experience with an agency will be like.
A woman considering surrogacy needs accurate information before deciding whether to apply. That includes the eligibility requirements, screening process and medical expectations. She should also know how matching works, when compensation begins, which expenses are covered and who she contacts when questions come up.
LifeBridge Surrogacy provides information about surrogate compensation and benefits before a prospective surrogate commits to a match.
Surrogate matching itself deserves consideration too. Surrogates and intended parents will be connected for many months, and preferences around communication or participation in appointments differ from one person to another. A good match takes those expectations into account rather than treating compatibility as an afterthought.
LifeBridge Surrogacy’s Agency Support Extends Well Beyond The Match
Surrogacy involves professionals who have different responsibilities. The fertility clinic manages treatment. Attorneys handle the legal work. Insurance questions need to be addressed, and there are practical details to manage throughout the pregnancy.
LifeBridge helps keep those pieces organized while remaining a consistent point of contact for the intended parents and surrogate.
That work is not always visible when someone first compares agencies. It becomes more noticeable after matching, when an intended parent has a question about an upcoming milestone or a surrogate needs help with an expense or appointment. Knowing who to contact and receiving a timely response makes a practical difference.
When comparing agencies, intended parents and prospective surrogates should ask how support works after the match, not simply how quickly matches are made.
Considering Surrogacy In California
Fertility care will continue to change, but anyone exploring surrogacy also has decisions to make based on their own circumstances. Intended parents may still be creating embryos or already be ready to find a surrogate. A prospective surrogate may simply be trying to determine whether she qualifies and whether the experience fits her life.
Whether you are considering becoming a parent through surrogacy or becoming a surrogate yourself, you can connect with LifeBridge Surrogacy to learn about the process, eligibility, and compensation, and figure out where you fit before deciding on your next step.
