The Daily Dose
Fred Van De Bogart: Serving the Capital Region’s senior community with a smile
Even if you haven’t met Fred Van De Bogart, you’ve probably seen him out and about around the Capital District. He’s hard to miss — you may spot him wearing CDPHP green, or his colorful shirts and distinctive sport coats reminiscent of professional wrestler Ric Flair, whom Fred has followed since childhood.
To say the least, Fred is a busy guy. As Director of Medicare Sales at CDPHP, his work is dedicated to serving the senior community, so he goes to meet people where they are – at community events, social programs, exhibitor tables, or even a round of golf at a charity outing. Some of his favorite programs are volunteer recognition events, and he spends a lot of time at senior centers, often with CDPHP sponsorships.
A Lifelong Love for the Senior Community
Fred’s love for the senior community runs deep. In just a quick conversation, it’s easy to tell that connecting with seniors is much more than a job for him. In fact, even as a teenager, he was drawn to spending time with the older generation.
At age 19, you could find him down at the American Legion on a Friday night, having a laugh with some of the older patrons. “I love the senior population,” Fred explains. “I want the secrets: How do you live so long? Give me some words of wisdom! I love hearing the stories.”
When Fred was about 21, he became close friends with a gentleman who was in his 70s. “We’d go out on Sundays and get steak and eggs at the diner,” Fred explains. “One of the best pieces of advice he gave me was that ‘You can’t take it with you. Live every day as your last.’ He was a dear friend of mine back in the day. I really enjoyed his company.”
Bringing White Glove Service to CDPHP Members
Many years later, much is the same – Fred is still happily listening to the stories – and needs – of the older generation. His friendly demeanor and willingness to lend an ear are just a few qualities that help him bring signature CDPHP white glove service to members, and especially those with Medicare.
“I think we strive to make interactions with members very intimate, very personalized,” he explains. “Everybody has different needs. So, we have to recognize those and adapt, and, depending on where their needs are, guide them down the right path so they know what options are available because a lot of people may not know.”
As Fred explains, just being there for CDPHP Medicare members is a big part of his job. He helps bring clarity to the complex world of health care by educating people on their health plan options, explaining things they may receive in the mail, and making folks aware of some of the resources they already have access to.
For example, Fred emphasizes that CDPHP offers benefits beyond coverage for doctor and hospital visits, such as the Papa Pals program. This CDPHP benefit brings in-home support services to those who need it most, offering rides to doctors’ appointments, trips to the grocery store or just companionship for people who may need it.
He also mentions the over-the-counter benefit available with some plans, which offers an allowance for things like cold and allergy medications. “People often don’t realize it may be embedded in their benefit package,” he says, adding that once people are aware, they really seem to enjoy it.
Another big part of Fred’s role is listening to the feedback he encounters from community members. “I’ve been in the Medicare world for probably about nine years now and interacting with the community has been great,” he says.
“We have many conversations. People are always coming up to our tables, or if we’re at an event, I’ve talked to providers, members, people who don’t have CDPHP, people who love CDPHP, people who give suggestions, and we’ve implemented those suggestions. It could be something as simple as ‘I wish it was easier to do this on the website.’”
“We’re always striving to do better,” Fred adds. “I don’t think anybody’s piece of advice or suggestions go unnoticed.”
Generally, Fred aims to give people the assistance they need while also giving them a reason to smile. “I have a thing on my desk,” he says. “It has multiple sayings, but the one that is always there is “Make someone smile today.’ That’s big for me.”
At Home in the Capital Region
Originally from Amsterdam, New York, Fred has lived in the Capital Region for about 20 years. “I like that it’s centrally located. You know you’re close to everything,” he says. He enjoys supporting the community by dining at locally owned restaurants. You might even catch him out playing golf. “I’m not very good at it, but the people I play with put up with me and it’s just a nice social activity,” he says.
One thing he likes most about his home in the Capital Region is its proximity to his work. “I do like to work a lot,” he says. “I’m probably one of the few people who really loves their job. I’m very fortunate with that.”
Putting Community Health First
Fred’s favorite thing about his job is making a difference in others’ lives, and he’s grateful to his CDPHP team members who share the same mission. “Being a not-for-profit organization, we’re trying to give back to folks to keep them healthy,” he says. “We want to keep members healthy. We want to look out for people. It just makes me very proud to work for the kind of company where everybody is on board with doing the best we can to help the community.”
Alicia Kelley About the Author
Alicia joined CDPHP in 2005 and is currently Vice President, Government Programs. In this role she is responsible for the growth, retention and oversight of the operational administration of our Government Programs and Individual Medicare Advantage plans. Prior to working at CDPHP, Alicia worked as a Facilitated Enrollment Specialist for Healthy Capital District Initiative, a local not-for-profit, assisting community members in obtaining access to Medicaid, Family Health Plus, and Child Health Plus. She received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Siena College, with a minor in Sociology.
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