About IFI
Working With Us
Our team of surrogacy insurance experts and case management professionals provide unsurpassed support and education to intended parents seeking peace of mind as they grow their families.
Our partners choose to work with IFI because we provide compassionate, professional service throughout our clients’ surrogacy journeys.
We have experience supporting intended parents worldwide and work with surrogacy agencies, attorneys, and fertility clinics across the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, Israel, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. We collaborate with more than 100 insurance companies to find the best option to meet the needs of intended parents.
Our Leadership Team
Jason Smith – President
As the Founder and President of IFI, Jason is a well-known speaker to industry professionals on the options available for a wide range of insurance policies and services that support surrogacy and egg donation journeys. His passion for third-party reproduction and surrogacy started with his family’s personal struggle with infertility, which involved fertility treatment, early labor, medically ordered bed rest, and the NICU. Prior to founding IFI, Jason provided insurance and financial solutions since 2008, matching insurance to the surrogacy journey since 2014. Jason was the leading writer of the life insurance death benefit among over 18,000 agents for several years at State Farm Insurance©, where he focused on life and disability insurance for surrogates. Jason’s top priorities are providing high-touch customer service and an abundance of education for our clients and industry partners.
Anne Watson – Managing Director
Anne has been a driving force in the IVF clinic and egg donation and surrogacy agency industries since she began her career in 2007. She started as a case management coordinator with the largest surrogate parenting agency in the country, then spent several years in an IVF clinical setting providing financial and insurance coordination services to patients. After completing her own journey as a gestational carrier, Anne returned in 2015 to her role in third-party reproduction support and has since built a highly successful team of medical billing, local monitoring, and insurance claims management professionals. Anne is deeply committed to operations management and providing her clients and team members with the most comprehensive education and customer-focused services possible. She believes that this approach is the key to a successful journey on the path to parenthood.
Carly Hegeman – Director of Operations
Carly brings over eight years of diverse healthcare leadership experience to her role as Director of Operations at IFI, where she specializes in applying Lean Six Sigma principles to guide teams with strategic vision and operational precision to enhance service delivery and support organizational growth. She holds a BA in Healthcare Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and began her career as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, where she developed a strong foundation in regulatory compliance, quality improvement, and patient-centered care. Carly later joined a Midwest-based ENT practice, where she led various operational initiatives spanning program management, procurement, quality assurance, and multi-site project management. Today, she brings that same dedication to the fertility insurance field, designing streamlined systems and fostering cross-functional collaboration to support clients, providers, and teams alike.
Mike Gioia – Client Engagement Specialist
Mike has been a licensed life and health insurance agent with IFI since 2019. As the team leader for IFI’s ACA program, he dedicates a significant amount of time to advancing his knowledge of the health insurance market, current industry trends, and the various plans available from dozens of different insurance carriers. He also stays up-to-date on the rules of the different state and federal marketplace exchanges. Mike takes pride in being a valuable source of information to help agencies, intended parents, attorneys, and surrogates make informed health insurance choices.
Jackie Tipper – Manager of Client Services
Jackie is a highly experienced professional with a proven track record of leading teams and delivering outstanding results for clients across multiple industries. As a founding member of the International Fertility Insurance family, she has played a key role in establishing IFI as a trusted resource for surrogacy agencies, attorneys, clinics, intended parents, surrogates, and donors. As Manager of Client Services, Jackie oversees the operation and execution of all insurance offerings and services. With her deep understanding of the complexities and challenges of a surrogacy journey, Jackie strives to provide simplified and efficient processes to secure necessary coverage and services in a stress-free way. She is deeply committed to building strong client relationships by providing the highest level of service and is dedicated to ensuring that every client feels supported and cared for every step of the way.
Nicole Aurich – Manager of Medical Billing
Nicole has over 25 years of experience in the medical billing field, ranging from Internal Medicine to Physical Therapy. She holds a degree in Medical Assisting and a certification in Medical Billing and Coding. Prior to her current role as Manager of Medical Billing at IFI, Nicole started her career in the surrogacy industry as a Medical Billing Specialist with one of the largest surrogacy agencies, specializing in Medical Billing Escrow Management. She enjoys creating a sense of ease for clients by alleviating the complexity when it comes to the financial aspect of a surrogacy journey. As a manager, Nicole cultivates a strong team environment that includes high-level customer service to ensure that IFI delivers the best medical billing experience possible.