Impact of the Affordable Care Act Essay Example for Free

Impact of the Affordable Care Act Essay The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama early in 2010. The ACA was introduced into law to help provide access to affordable and quality health insurance to more Americans than ever before. The goal was to reduce health care cost for individuals and government. It has allowed more adults to be eligible for Medicaid by increasing income eligibility to 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). (Milstead, 2013) However, by ruling of the Supreme Court in June of 2012, states had the option to implement the expansion of Medicaid eligibility to cover more low-income adults. As of January 2014, North Carolina (NC) was one of the states that chose not to implement the expansion of Medicaid making the eligibility for Medicaid for low-income adults very limited. How does this affect the population, economy, cost, and quality of health care? North Carolina’s Right to Refuse According to Knickman and Kovner (2011, p. 110), â€Å"the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives states the primary responsibility for public health. Medicaid is administered and overseen by each state but governed by various federal guidelines with the federal government contributing 50%-78% of its costs. (2011) After long debate and review of advantages and disadvantages to implementing the new laws, the North Carolina’s government elected not to adopt the new legislation. Caroll (2013) indicated the decision was based on NC’s current Medicaid system, indicating that is was broken and needing to be revised. There was concern the ACA would cause an increase in taxpayer’s contribution due to the long term costs. As of September 2014, there are 21 states that are following North Carolina’s decision not to adopt the new health care reform. This would leave millions of Americans that would be eligible for Medicaid under the ACA without access to health care.  (StateReforum, 2014) Impact on the Population One of the initiatives of the ACA was to provide more than 32 million uninsured Americans with insurance coverage. This was to be done by increasing the FPL to 138 percent and lifting or altering certain limitations for eligibility to Medicaid. This meant that all Americans whose income was at or below the FPL would be eligible for Medicaid. For example, an unemployed, single, 26-year-old male without any other income would be eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid would no longer be limited to specific categories such as the disabled, children and their parents, or pregnant women whose income was below the FPL. North Carolina’s current Medicaid program â€Å"eligibility for non-disabled adults is limited to parents with incomes below 43% of poverty, or about $10,000 a year for a family of four, and adults without dependent children remain ineligible regardless of their income† (How Will the Uninsured, 2014). Currently, there are over 319,000 uninsured adults in NC that are not eligible for Medicaid, by the current NC guidelines, which would be eligible under the Affordable Care Act. This can lead to increased health care costs and weighs heavily on the economy. Who is to take up the slack? Economic Effects of Doing Nothing Dorgan (2009), Chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, indicates that the current health care system in NC has â€Å"led to higher health care costs, reduced access to care, and inconsistent quality of care†. The Gross Domestic Product in 2013 for North Carolina, based on millions of dollars spent, was $471,365 million, an increase of over $50,000 million since 2010. (Department of Labor and Workforce, 2013) In 2013, North Carolina’s State Auditor Beth Wood indicated that the state’s Medicaid program had gone over budget for the past three years, costing taxpayers about $1.2 billion. (Hoban, 2013) This leaves businesses and the working population to cover health care costs by paying higher taxes. With unemployment soaring over the last decade, and North Carolina having one of the highest unemployment rates in the United States (Hoban, 2013), less is paid into taxes. This leads to less to cover health care costs. The Affordable Care Act was implemented to decrease the costs of health care for all Americans. According to the White House website (2014) â€Å"the Congressional Budget Office found that health  insurance reform will reduce the deficit by $210 billion in this decade and by more than $1 trillion over the following 10 years. A family of four would save as much as $2,300 on their premiums in 2014 compared to what they would have paid without reform†. Will the decreased costs affect the quality of care being provided? Quality of Care The implementation of the ACA will require a higher standard for quality of care. The ACA promotes the use of accountable care organizations (ACO), which is a type of managed care that includes at least primary physicians, specialists, and hospitals that would be held accountable for the quality of care provided. (Kovener and Knickman, 2011, p. 196) The ACA works to move away from a fee-for-service approach to an accountable care organization (ACO) model that would incorporate a coordinated approach to provide high quality of care. This type of system rewards physicians and health care facilities through how they are paid for the quality of care they provide. The ACA reforms the way health care is delivered to the population by â€Å"creating high-performing organizations of physicians and hospitals that use systems of care and information technology to prevent illness, improve access to care, improve safety, and coordinate services† (What is an Accountable Care, 2011) making them more accountable for the care they provide. Incentives are provided to physicians and healthcare organizations that have shown they can provide quality care and improve patient satisfaction. Ethical Implications How can the government provide quality health care to so many without sacrificing the rights of a few? The ACA was enacted to help provide health care to more adults between the ages of 19-64 years of age that otherwise would not have access to or afford health care. According to Sorrell (2012), Americans want a health care system that will provide quality care, have freedom of choice, be affordable, and allow the costs to be shared among all. There is worry the ACO will lead to cost-shifting. Medicare and Medicaid pay much less for reimbursement for health care treatment. To re-coop their costs, hospitals and health care providers participate in the unethical practice of shifting these losses to patients with insurance by charging more for the same services. Insurance companies then shift these  costs to members by increasing their premiums and out-of-pocket costs. With such an increase in the number of people eligible for Medicaid, providers will be receiving much less for the services they provide. Another concern is for the Americans that do not qualify for Medicaid. Income levels can qualify some for decrease in premiums for health insurance from private companies. However, there will be those that do not qualify in either category and do not have access to health insurance through their employer and cannot afford the high premiums of private insurance. The new health reform requires those that do not have some type of health insurance to have to pay penalties for not having insurance. Conclusion The Affordable Care Act was developed to provide health care to an additional 32 million Americans with the goal of reducing health care costs. Even though there are millions that will now have access to health care, there will be millions that do not qualify for the programs and will remain uninsured. There is much concern and debate the ACA with hurt the economy, increase health care costs, and add to the United States’ deficit. North Carolina, along with 21 other states, have chosen not to adopt the new law and either continue with current guidelines or choose to restructure their current health care policies. Concerns also arise about causing a decrease in quality of health care provided. The development of ACO’s through the ACA implies that quality of health care will be improved. However, there is question that ACO’s will lead to cost-shifting to re-coop lost costs from the influx of American’s now eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. References Caroll, B. (2013). North Carolina Thumbs its Nose at Obamacare. Retrieved from http://watchdogwire.com/northcarolina/2013/02/12/north-carolina-thumbs-its-nose-at-obamacare/ Dorgan, B. (2009). Health Care Reform: The Cost of Doing Nothing in North Carolina. Democratic Policy Committee. Retrieved from http://www.dpc.senate.gov/docs/states-fs-111-1-87/nc.pdf Hoban, R. (April, 2013). Cost of Care: How ‘Broken’ is NC Medicaid?. North Carolina Health News. Retrieved from http://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2013/04/15/how-broken-is-nc-medicaid/

Physical Evidence Is The Element Of The Service

Physical Evidence Is The Element Of The Service The Marketing Mix model can be used by Able journeys as a tool to aid in defining the marketing strategy. Marketing manager use this method to try and produce the best possible response in the target market by blending many uneven in the best way. It is important to understand that the Marketing Mix principles are controllable variables. The Marketing Mix can be adjusted on a common basis to meet the altering needs of the target group the other actives of the marketing environment. The 7-Ps or extensive Marketing Mix of Booms Bitner is a Marketing Strategy tool that increases the number of expedient variable from the 4 in the original Marketing Mix Model to 7. The usual Marketing Mix model was mainly bound for useful for tangible goodss. The 7-Ps model is more helpful for services industries debatably also for knowledge-intensive surroundings. The standard variables used in constructing a marketing mix are price, promotion, goods place. The service marketing mix comprises off the 7ps. These include: Goods Price Place Promotion People Process Physical evidence. Product In the past, the thoughts were, a good goods will sell by its own. Nonetheless there are no dire goods any longer in todays extremely competitive souk. In addition, there are numerous laws giving consumers the right to send back goods that he perceives as bad. Consequently, today the org. defines the uniqueness of its goods or service that congregates the needs of their consumers. Essentially a good is a substantial object or an insubstantial service which is produced heavily or manufactured on a large scale with a exact volume of components, Intangible goods are frequent service support like the tourism trade the hotel trade. Usual case of a mass produced substantial object is the disposable razor. A less obvious but ubiquitous mass produced service is a computer operating system. It includes:- Functionality; Quality; Appearance; Packaging; Br; Service; Support; Warranty. Price The price is the amount a consumer pays for the goods. It is determined by a number of factors including market share, competition, material costs, goods identity the consumers perceived value of the goods. The business may increase or decrease the price of goods if other stores have the same goods. Although competing on price is as old as mankind, the consumer is often still sensitive for price discounts special offers. Price has also an irrational side: something that is expensive must be good. Permanently competing on price is for many companies not a very sensible approach. It includes: List Price; Discounts; Financing; Leasing Options; Allowances. Place Place represents the location where a goods can be purchased. It is often referred to as the distribution channel. It can include any physical store as well as virtual stores on the Internet. Some of the recent major changes in business have come about by changing Place. Think of the Internet mobile telephones. (How) are the chosen target groups informed or educated about the org. its goodss? This includes all the weapons in the marketing armory advertising, selling, sales. It includes:- Locations; Logistics; Channel members; Channel Motivation; Market Coverage; Service Levels; Internet; Mobile. Promotion Promotion represents all of the communications that a marketer may use in the marketplace. Promotion has four distinct elements advertising, public relations, word of mouth point of sale. A certain amount of crossover occurs when promotion uses the four principal elements together, which is common in film promotion. While the other three Ps have lost much of their meanings in todays markets, Promotion has become the most important P to focus on. It includes: Advertising; Public Relations; Direct Sales; Sales; Media; Budget. People All people that are directly or indirectly involved in the consumption of a service are an important part of the Extended Marketing Mix. Knowledge workers, employees, management consumers often add significant value to the total goods or service offering. An essential ingredient to any service provision is the use of appropriate staff people. Recruiting the right staff training them appropriately in the delivery of their service is essential if the org. wants to obtain a form of competitive advantage. Consumers make judgments deliver perceptions of the service based on the employees they interact with. Staff should have the appropriate interpersonal skills, aptitude, service knowledge to provide the service that consumers are paying for. Many British org.s aim to apply for the Investors. In People accreditation, which tells consumers that staff are taken care off by the company they are trained to certain stards. Process Procedure, mechanisms flow of activities by which services are consumed (consumer management processes) are an essential element of the marketing strategy. Processes are basically systems used to assist the org. in delivering the service. Imagine one walk into Burger King orders a Whopper Meal gets it delivered within 2 minutes. What was the process that allowed him to obtain an efficient service delivery? Banks that send out Credit Cards automatically when their consumers old one has expired again require an efficient process to identify expiry dates renewal. An efficient service that replaces old credit cards will foster consumer loyalty confidence in the company. Physical Evidence The ability environment in which the service is delivered. Both tangible goods that help to communicate perform the service, the intangible experience of existing consumers the ability of the business to relay that consumer satisfaction to potential consumers. Physical Evidence is the element of the service mix which allows the consumer again to make judgments on the org.. If one walks into a restaurant his expectations are of a clean, friendly environment. On an aircraft if one travels first class he expects enough room to be able to lie down! Physical evidence is an essential ingredient of the service mix; consumers will make perceptions based on their sight of the service provision which will have an impact on the org.s perceptual plan of the service. The first two more Ps are explicit (People, Process) the third one (Physical Evidence) is an implicit factor. Broadly defined, optimizing the marketing mix is the primary responsibility of marketing. By offering the goods with the right combination of the seven Ps marketers can improve their results marketing effectiveness. Making small changes in the marketing mix is typically considered to be a tactical change. Making large changes in any of the seven Ps can be considered strategic. The term Marketing Mix however, does not imply that the 7P elements represent options. They are not trade-offs but are fundamental marketing issues that always need to be addressed. They are the fundamental actions that marketing requires whether determined explicitly or by default.

Hunting is a Crime, Not a Sport :: English Literature Essays

How many animals will be slaughtered before it is decided too many are dead? Will species die out and fade into obscurity? Isn't it our job to prevent this from occurring? With the large prevalence of hunters in today's world, it is time to define what hunting is. Hunting is not a sport due to the waste of precious animal lives, moral ethics, and its inability to follow the definition of a sport. The dictionary defines a sport as "an activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules and often undertaken competitively"(Dictionary.com). Under this definition, hunting is considered a sport, although this definition seems to be lacking a few main points. When surveyed, many people thought that a sport should be fair to both sides. There should always be a chance for the other team to win, otherwise there would not be a point. Also, a sport should be fun for both sides. If it is not, then the sport stops being recreational. A third addition is the fact that people participate in sports by choice. An animal does not choose to be hunted, it is chosen by the hunter. Therefore, looking at the new definition, it would seem that hunting is no longer a sport: it is unfair to the animal, the animal is definitely not having fun and the animal has absolutely no choice about participating. In previous centuries, First Nations peoples hunted animals throughout Canada. When they killed an animal, they would honour its spirit. This was done because they believed that all creatures, including humans, were equal in life. One of the ways they honoured the animal's spirit was to use every portion of the body. They would use the skin for clothing or shelter, the stomach for cooking, the meat for eating and many other portions for various uses. They would waste nothing, and this practice continued for hundreds of years. It still exists today. Many modern day sport hunters do not follow this ideal. A lot of hunters stuff and mount their kills as trophies, or decorations. This is a waste of the animal. Before the dead animal is stuffed, the taxidermist removes the internal organs and scrapes the skin clean. The waste is then dumped into a garbage bin and disposed of. This is an enormous waste of the animal. While some hunters do eat the animals they kill, and use most of it, the majority do not.

The Long Walk :: essays research papers

Walking, there is no end in sight: stranded on a narrow country road for all eternity. It is almost dark now. The clouds having moved in secretively. When did that happen? I am so far away from all that is familiar. The trees are groaning against the wind’s fury: when did the wind start blowing? Have I been walking for so long that time hysterically slipped away! The leaves are rustling about swirling through the air like discarded post-it notes smashing, slapping against the trees and blacktop, â€Å"splat-snap†. Where did the sun go? It gave the impression only an instant ago, or had it been longer; that it was going to be a still and peaceful sunny day; has panic from hunger and walking so long finally crept in? Waking up this morning, had I been warned of the impending day, the highs and lows that I would soon face, and the unexpected twist of fate that awaited me, I would have stayed in bed. It was a sunny day. The leftovers of last week’s snowstorm still blanketed most of the surrounding area. I decided, after straggling about the house for nearly two hours, lethargy slowly creeping in, that I would go for a drive. I leaped in my trusty old Maverick and roared away. The Maverick, which I bought in 1975, was dark blue, (my favorite color). It was a steal and only ten years past its prime. It was a good, trustworthy car and until today, I had not had any problems with it. This was a spontaneous kind of getaway, so nothing was planned, no basket of food prepared, nor did I make any other preparations. Living in the city can be depressing so getting away from the concrete jungle for a few hours was a welcomed escape. I have not lived in this city for very long, although I knew the names of the adjoining towns, there were a few that I did not know. However, being the adventurer that I am, I drove off in a direction that I have never been. I do not know why I did not t hink to look at the gas gauge before I left perhaps I was too preoccupied with the thought of fleeing that I did not care. After two and a half hours of Driving, on an old narrow country road, maneuvering the Maverick to its full potential I began to sense the problem with my car even before it actually happened.

Rational Choice :: Economics

Rational Choice --------------- In the past century, philosophers and social scientists have given theories of individual and interactive decision making a rigorous foundation. Indeed, contemporary decision and game theory have revolutionized our understanding of rational choice in ways that parallel the concurrent revolution in philosophical logic. Carnegie Mellon's philosophy department is recognized as one of the foremost departments in the world in decision and game theory. Primary research at Carnegie Mellon in decision and game theory focuses on the foundations of Bayesian decision theory, interactive knowledge concepts and their applications in game theory and equilibrium selection in games. Decision theory is motivated to a large extent by the consequentialist, and especially the utilitarian, traditions in moral philosophy. To bring about the best consequences, one must know what they are. From the beginning, both critics and defenders of moral consequentialism raised skeptical doubts about the possibility of ever deriving a satisfactory procedure for rank ordering alternatives so as to identify the best choice. In the special case of utilitarianism, the great 19th century utilitarians John Stuart Mill and Henry Sidgwick themselves thought that an exact calculus of utility that would enable societyÈs members to know precisely how to produce the greatest overall welfare might not be possible. Any proposal for a utilitarian calculus raises two fundamental questions: (1) How are quantities of utility to be ascribed to alternatives in a nonarbitrary way?, and (2) How are likelihoods to be ascribed to alternatives in a nonarbitrary way? A decision theory based upon utility is intimately related to theories of probability, which are needed for the calculation of expected consequences. In 1926, Frank Ramsey presented a monumental essay Truth and Probability, which laid the cornerstones of contemporary decision theory. Ramsey proved a representation theorem that enables one to derive both quantitative utilities and probabilities over alternatives that uniquely cohere with one's qualitative preferences over these alternatives. The work of Ramsey and his successors, most notably Leonard Savage, has resulted in modern Bayesian decision theory, which provides a precise account of how to choose so as to maximize expected utility. This work has also sparked a great flowering of alternative decision theories, some of which generalize Ramsey's and Savage's treatments and some of which constitute alternatives to standard Bayesian decision theory. Game theory considers cases in which decision problems interact. The mathematician John von Neumann and the economist Oskar Morgenstern established game theory as an important branch of social science in 1944 with the publication of their treatise Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. Von Neumann and Morgenstern presented a precise mathematical account of situations in which agents make interdependent decisions. To be sure, von Neumann and Morgenstern had intellectual precursors. In the 1910s and 1920s, the mathematicians Ernst Zermelo

“Rodeo-Soho Fashion Spree” A Comparison Essay on Two Places

IntroductionIt is true for a fact that due to the immense rise of globalization and competition in the world of business today, the contemporary society continuously seeks for fresher, trendy and the rather â€Å"Gucci-fancy† commodities which will seemingly amaze anyone who happens to come across one’s way (Peters & Barletta, 2005).   As for me, I admirably belong to that certain group—the â€Å"fashionistaz,† as they say. I am a cloth addict.   Not only because I am actually exposed to such line of industry given the fact that my sister works for Marc Jacobs, a renowned fashion commerce, but also because I had the indulgence and delight of seeing myself galloping along shops and stalls filled with all the wondrous stuff any â€Å"trendy† lass could ever take to imagine.Apparently, for a trendsetter like me, undeniably a fickle aided individual in the fashion arena, it is inevitable to easily â€Å"get enough† of what I already have.   Consequently, it boggles in my head that I cannot exactly reach all the glittering stars in shops—I need to wait for my time in life where I would be able to build my own Salvatore Ferragamo, Hermes and Ralph Lauren Black Label shops fit enough for my enthusiasm, and adequate for all the hungry â€Å"fashionistaz† living in this planet.   I know for a fact that trendsetters are fickle-minded beings—experience based.   I remember two shops which conceivably mean much to me, and my hobby—the gigantic Ta Ta Style in Rodeo Street, Seoul; and the Ralph Lauren Black Label shop at Soho Street, Manhattan.   The name of both stores will terribly ring a bell to my co-trendsetters.Seoul’s Ta ta StyleIn Rodeo Street, there are bunches of small but fancy boutique shops decorated with brand new fashion items, although one may not directly love the view in the exterior cascade—scary, spooky and definitely not that presentable. Many have, in point of fact, rated such store as â€Å"shabby† and completely disgusting.   But then there’s this line which says â€Å"don’t judge a book by its cover†Ã¢â‚¬â€I guess it applies to this certain store. The Ta ta Style is the best place in the world for me—a place where one can find all the limited edition accessories and clothes with low prices, meet famous celebrities every day, hang out with a store owner who suggests brilliant items—and is admirably situated in the heart of the city.   The shop was cozy.A small orange sofa, a shiny silver coffee maker, a high tech TV and computer and other modern decorations were facing toward the guests. On the other side, hundred photographs of famous celebrities with the shop owner are posted on the mirror. Colorful shirts, vintage jackets, dandy jeans and funky ties, caps and chains—everything can be found in there.   Not only that, the owner also offers a beverage for its customers and talk to them in the most casual sense—trying to get a glitch of what his customers want, like, or imagine of wearing.   In my own conviction, it is a â€Å"sales technique† which gradually draws mutual benefit.Manhattan’s Ralph Lauren Black LabelClassics are forever and trends are unpredictable—both terms jive to one another, in a vicinity rated as a tourist spot and migration realm for international schemes, it is always a blockbuster hit to venture into a business which does not just settle for what is conventional, but rather on what is flexible.   Masterpiece, in line with trend, worth the price—three factors which best defines Ralph Lauren Black Label shop at Soho Street.   It was one of the biggest and fanciest shops I ever seen in my life. The store looked magnificently gorgeous, and its size was bigger than my high school assembly hall. Managers were dressed up with sharp suites, and they looked well educated for servicing their customers. H owever, somehow I couldn’t feel close to this store since everything was too much professional and organized. A gray cashmere muffler had a price tag on it which says two hundred and forty dollars—something my pockets could not tend to reach for the immediate moment.Conclusions with further remarksPerceivably, both stores have things in common and entities which differ from the other.   Both offer the â€Å"trendiest† inclination in human colony.   On the other hand, both disagree on the following: price, the â€Å"sense of formality, and the place. Geographical basis, both are on different continents, the culture is the different and the places where the stores are situated, are terribly contrasting.   Manhattan’s glowing paradise is â€Å"too formal† and decent, to be specific, while Seoul’s alley is â€Å"fancy† and casual.   Only that, in their specific regions and area of jurisdiction, they are ‘rulers’ of t he industry which they are most renowned into.For the reason that there are distinctive characteristics in every place, it is vague to extend a conviction based on biased opinions.   How a store may actually look like depends on the rationality of a person.   A lot of factors must be taken into consideration—lifestyle, culture, laws, tribal entities and the pyramid of social structure—all of which are the fundamentals which make up a certain structure.   For some, the â€Å"fancy-shabby† shop may be the â€Å"worst† shop, but for those who live in there and for the people who loves their products, it is like a kingdom filled with jewels and happiness.   Everything falls on the lines of â€Å"enthusiasm† and â€Å"need† for something, and that is one to be respected.   Everyone is entitled for their own perceptions.   But then as for me, I settle for what I can afford—achieve, for that instance.   I love â€Å"Ta ta† and â€Å"Ralph Lauren†Ã¢â‚¬â€that is my own conviction, my own life, my own fulfillment in life, my joy, my happiness, and so how I see both structures shows my standpoint as well.Reference:Peters, T., & Barletta, M. (2005). Trends (Tom Peters Essentials). New York NY: DK ADULT.

Vishwanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand Country India Born11 December 1969 (age 40) Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, India TitleGrandmaster (1988) World Champion 2000–2002 (FIDE) 2007–present (undisputed) FIDE rating 2804 (No. 1 in the November 2010 FIDE World Rankings) Peak rating 2804 (November 2010) Viswanathan Anand, (Tamil: , IPA: [? i n? a? t n ? a? n? n? d? ]; born 11 December 1969) is an Indian chess Grandmaster and the current World Chess Champion. He held the FIDE World Chess Championship from 2000 to 2002, at a time when the world title was split.He became the undisputed World Champion in 2007 and defended his title against Vladimir Kramnik in 2008. He then successfully defended his title in the World Chess Championship 2010 against Veselin Topalov. As the reigning champion, he will face the winner of the Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Championship 2012. Anand is one of six players in history to break the 2800 mark on the FIDE rating list, and in April 2007 at the age of 3 7, he became the world number-one for the first time. He was at the top of the world rankings five out of six times, from April 2007 to July 2008, holding the number-one ranking for a total of 15 months.In October 2008, he dropped out of the world top three ranking for the first time since July 1996. Anand officially regained the world number one ranking on November 1, 2010, after having defeated the reigning world #1 Magnus Carlsen in the Bilbao Masters. Anand became India's first grandmaster in 1987. [1] He was also the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1991–92, India's highest sporting honor. In 2007, he was awarded India's second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, making him the first sportsperson to receive the award in Indian history.Today he remains one of elite chess players in the world. [2] Anand has been described by Lubomir Kavalek as the most versatile world champion ever, since Anand is the only player to have won the world chess championships in many formats including Knockout, Tournament, Match, Rapid and Blitz. [3] Contents [hide] †¢1 Personal life †¢2 Chess career o2. 1 Early career o2. 2 World Chess Champion ?2. 2. 1 FIDE World Chess Champion 2000 ?2. 2. 2 World Chess Champion 2007 ?2. 2. 3 World Chess Champion 2008 ?2. 2. 4 World Chess Champion 2010 ?2. 2. 5 World Chess Championship 2012 o2. 3 FIDE World Rapid Chess Champion 2003 2. 4 Other results o2. 5 Rating †¢3 Personality †¢4 Controversies †¢5 Notable tournament victories †¢6 Awards †¢7 Sample game †¢8 See also †¢9 References †¢10 Further reading †¢11 External links [edit] Personal life Anand was born on 11 December 1969 in Mayiladuthurai, a small town in Tamil Nadu, India in a Tamil Iyer (South Indian Brahmin) family. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to Chennai, erstwhile Madras, where he grew up. [4] His father, Viswanathan Iyer, is a retired General Manager of Southern Railways, and his mother Susheela, housewife and chess/film/club aficionado and an influential socialite.He has an elder brother, Shivakumar who is a manager at Crompton Greaves in India and an elder sister Anuradha who is a teacher at the University of Michigan. [5][6] Anand is 11 years younger than his sister and 13 years younger than his brother. He was taught to play chess by his mother. He described his start in chess in a conversation with Susan Polgar: I started when I was six. My mother taught me how to play. In fact, my mother used to do a lot for my chess. We moved to the Philippines shortly afterward. I joined the club in India and we moved to the Philippines for a year.And there they had a TV program that was on in the afternoon, one to two or something like that, when I was in school. So she would write down all the games that they showed and the puzzles, and in the evening we solved them together. Of course my mother and her family used to play some chess, and she used to play with her younger brother, so she had some background in chess, but she never went to a club or anything like that. So we solved all these puzzles and sent in our answers together. And they gave the prize of a book to the winner. And over the course of many months, I won so many prizes.At one point they just said take all the books you want, but don't send in any more entries. [7] Anand did his schooling in Don Bosco, Egmore, Chennai and holds a degree in commerce from Loyola College, Chennai. His hobbies are reading, swimming, and listening to music. He is married to Aruna Anand and lives in Collado Mediano in Spain. [8] In August 2010, Anand joined Board of Directors of Olympic Gold Quest, a foundation for promoting and supporting the India's elite sportspersons and potential young talent. [9][10][11] [edit] Chess career [edit] Early career Anand's rise in the Indian chess world was meteoric.National level success came early for him when he won the National Sub-Junior Chess Championship wi th a score of 9/9 in 1983 at the age of fourteen. He became the youngest Indian to win the International Master title at the age of fifteen, in 1984. At the age of sixteen he became the national chess champion and won that title two more times. He played games at blitz speed. In 1987, he became the first Indian to win the World Junior Chess Championship. In 1988, at the age of eighteen, he became India's first Grandmaster by winning Shakti Finance International chess tournament held in Coimbatore, India.He was awarded Padma Shri at the age of 18. Anand at the Manila Olympiad 1992, age 22 â€Å"Vishy†, as he is sometimes called by his friends, burst upon the upper echelons of the chess scene in the early 1990s, winning such tournaments as Reggio Emilia 1991 (ahead of Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov). Playing at such a high level did not slow him down, and he continued to play games at blitz speed. In the World Chess Championship 1993 cycle Anand qualified for his first Candi dates Tournament, winning his first match but narrowly losing his quarter-final match to Anatoly Karpov. 12] In 1994–95 Anand and Gata Kamsky dominated the qualifying cycles for the rival FIDE and PCA world championships. In the FIDE cycle (FIDE World Chess Championship 1996), Anand lost his quarter-final match to Kamsky after leading early. [13]Kamsky went on to lose the 1996 FIDE championship match against Karpov. In the 1995 PCA cycle, Anand won matches against Oleg Romanishin and Michael Adams without a loss, then avenged his FIDE loss by defeating Gata Kamsky in the Candidates final. 14] In 1995, he played the PCA World Chess Championship 1995 against Kasparov in New York City's World Trade Center. After an opening run of eight draws (a record for the opening of a world championship match), Anand won game nine with a powerful exchange sacrifice, but then lost four of the next five. He lost the match 10? –7?. In the 1998 FIDE cycle, the reigning champion Karpov was granted direct seeding by FIDE into the final against the winner of the seven-round single elimination Candidates tournament.The psychological and physical advantage gained by Karpov from this decision caused significant controversy, leading to the withdrawal of future World Champion Vladimir Kramnik from the candidates tournament. Anand won the candidates tournament, defeating Michael Adams in the final, and immediately faced a well-rested Karpov for the championship. Despite this tremendous disadvantage for Anand, which he described as being â€Å"brought in a coffin† to play Karpov,[15] Anand was able to draw the regular match 3-3, forcing a rapid playoff. However, the rapid playoff was won 2-0 by Karpov, allowing him to defend his FIDE