Economy & Business INSURANCE

Should a woman pay the same insurance rates as a man? Insurance companies have long insisted that since women, on average, live longer than men, some of their payments should be higher and some of their benefits lower. But many feminists argue that such pricing constitutes discrimination. Last week Massachusetts became the latest state to promote unisex rates for all types of insurance (Montana was the first state to do so). Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner Peter Hiam ordered that firms based in his state even up their rates by July 1988. Says Hiam: "Massachusetts does not see any social value in making people pay different rates on the basis of gender."

Many executives oppose the commissioner's involvement in rate setting. But John Hancock Lobbyist Barbara Burgess supports Hiam. Says she: "Current rates discriminate against the individual."