Two Wisconsin surrogate mothers - with help from the state Commissioner of Insurance and state Supreme Court - have made Wisconsin the most surrogacy-friendly state in the nation when it comes to health insurance.
A 2010 Supreme Court ruling, handed down after the two women were denied benefits, makes it illegal for most health insurers to refuse to cover a surrogate's pregnancy. That means infertile couples who want to be parents can save thousands of dollars in medical costs by working with Wisconsin surrogates.
"The Supreme Court has said, essentially, that if you are an insurance policy governed by Wisconsin law and you provide maternity coverage, you can't exclude coverage for somebody based on the circumstances of conception," said attorney Lynn Bodi, who co-owns a surrogacy agency in Madison.
Attorneys around the country are very aware of the Wisconsin decision, the only one of its kind in the nation so far, Bodi said.
"They are interested in trying to use it to explain to their courts and legislatures that this makes sense," she said.
The case began after Janesville-based MercyCare...