Parents should foot surrogacy bills

Re Pregnancy without motherhood, July 17 Surrogacy results from an agreement among three adult parties. I have no strong opinion one way or the other. However this practice, which according to the Star involves “hundreds” of cases of Canadian women per year, is placing an intolerable burden upon our increasingly overwhelmed health-care system.

Our health-care contributions are there to provide support for our children, our seniors and those afflicted with disease and injury. The funds are not there to pay the huge costs involved in supporting pregnancies for offshore parents.

These are people from prosperous countries. The parental parties must be made to bear the costs of the medical care involved in the conception, gestation and birth of their surrogate children.

Many refugee claimants, although living in Canada, cannot get health insurance. Why should these backdoor agreements entitle privileged parents in other countries to walk in and incur largescale costs without reimbursement?

We cannot, and should not, allow these arrangements to continue without imposing a system of cost recovery. Robert Kent, Mississauga

As a citizen and a taxpayer of this great country, I have two very serious issues with this. Our already cash-strapped health system should not be a free ride for those from other countries availing themselves of services. The medical care should be covered by insurance, which anyone travelling in this country would pur- chase to cover expenses incurred here or at least by the expectant parents.

Secondly, a Canadian passport and citizenship are very highly valued in this turbulent world. They are a great privilege to possess and should not be given to a baby who had a warm womb for nine months and has no plan to be a contributing member of our society. Their passport comes with all the perks, but no commitment to Canada.

Sorry, but in no way do I wish to support this surrogacy plan. If this child is to be a citizen of another country then a passport from Canada is superfluous and this may take a codicil to our law that all those born here are automatically a citizen. This is something that seems like a good idea to some, until the details are revealed.

Trish Arnaud, Bath, Ont.

Why don’t we establish funding to put them up in a great hotel for their stays as well? After all, we’re Canadian. Jean Shaw, Toronto