Military wives cashing in as surrogates

[kskiska]

Source: NY Daily News

While their husbands are dodging bullets overseas, some military wives are renting out their wombs.

That's according to a Newsweek report that identifies military wives as part of a sharp increase in surrogate births.

Technology has made it easier for infertile couples to consider hiring surrogates to carry their babies through pregnancy, usually in exchange for money, according to the magazine.

For women struggling to rear their own children while their husbands are off in Iraq or Afghanistan, the money is bounteous - often more for a single pregnancy than their husbands earn in a year at war.

New military enlistees earn from $16,080 to $28,900, while one of the surrogates told Newsweek she was lured by an ad promising up to $20,000 to carry and deliver a baby.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/03/31/2008-03-31_military_wives_cashing_in_as_surrogates-2.html

[Warpy]

1. $20,000 for several months of 24/7 discomfort

while putting your life on the line with no benefits.

This is just another illustration of how poorly paid our military is while GOP Washington lavishes trillions on corrupt military contractors.

[daleo]

2. While the husband is off protecting the oil of the rich elites

The wife can be renting her womb, to help them have babies (and let the trophy wives keep a trim figure). What an era we live in!

[tabasco]

10. Dear God, that was about my reaction too.

How long until the revolution?

[kskiska]

3. Guess who pays their health insurance?

Excerpt from original Newsweek cover story:

Military wives are attractive candidates because of their health insurance, Tricare, which is provided by three different companies—Humana, TriWest and Health Net Federal Services—and has some of the most comprehensive coverage for surrogates in the industry. Fertility agencies know this, and may offer a potential surrogate with this health plan an extra $5,000. Last year military officials asked for a provision in the 2008 defense authorization bill to cut off coverage for any medical procedures related to surrogate pregnancy. They were unsuccessful—there are no real data on how much the government spends on these cases. Tricare suggests that surrogate mothers who receive payment for their pregnancy should declare the amount they're receiving, which can then be deducted from their coverage. But since paid carriers have no incentive to say anything, most don't. "I was told by multiple people—congressional staff, doctors and even ordinary taxpayers—that they overheard conversations of women bragging about how easy it was to use Tricare coverage to finance surrogacy and delivery costs and make money on the side," says Navy Capt. Patricia Buss, who recently left the Defense Department and now holds a senior position with Health Net Federal Services. The subject of Tricare surrogacy coverage is becoming a hot topic throughout the military world; on Web sites such as militarySOS .com, bloggers with sign-on names such as "Ms. Ordinance" and "ProudArmyWife" fiercely debate the subject.

more…
http://www.newsweek.com/id/129594

[aquart]

7. Are you saying we should NOT cover army wives?

Are you saying we should LESSEN their benefits?

How fucking dare you.

[kskiska]

8. I did not write this story.

Read the Newsweek article. The military is questioning covering these surrogate pregnancies.

[my2sense]

4. Third World Country

What a sad state our country is in. Talk about the rich taking advantage of the poor, $20,000 is all they can spend on someone renting out their body, their vehicles cost more than that!

[RC]

5. Yeah, keep those canon fodders commin...

We need all we can get for McCain's 100 years war.

[shireen]

6. similar story line in "Army Wives"

Shows from last season are currently being re-run on Lifetime. and can also be downloaded from iTunes. At the start of the season, one of the main characters was pregnant as a surrogate. At the time, I was a bit surprised because it seemed like an odd story line, but now that I've seen your post, it makes sense. The writers wrote this more than a year-and-a-half ago, so they must have seen this rising trend quite early.

Carrying a baby comes with risks. I'm sure these women are well-aware of what's involved, and are doing it anyway because the financial strain on their lives makes it necessary. That's a very sad statement about how our soldiers are compensated for their service to our country, and how their families are cared for in their absence.

If you've not watched "Army Wives," I recommend it -- it's pretty good drama. The series centers on 5 characters with spouses on active duty. Four are women, one is a man. So the title is a bit misleading ... it should read Army Spouses, but I guess "Army Wives" sounds better.

[Turbineguy]

9. Self-delete

[katty]

11. what a sorry mess America has become

[bemildred]

12. Lucky them. hitting the big time.

:sarcasm:

[Orsino]

13. Let's call them Handmaidens.

I'm not trying to oppose the practice, mind you--just to decry a military pay system which makes it so desirable.