Timothy Sirhal is the Executive Director of Insurance Service, within the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). In this role, he is responsible for VA’s national life insurance programs, which includes 11 different programs with 5.6 million insured at a face value of $1.5 trillion. In total, the programs disburse approximately $2 billion in benefits annually. He has operational control over an administrative budget of $47 million and over 300 employees, and he maintains responsibility for a variety of legislative, regulatory, and national policy initiatives relating to VA life insurance.
Prior to Timothy’s current role with Insurance Service, he served as Executive Director of VBA’s Office of Administrative Review, where he administered VBA’s modernized decision review (higher- level review) program for Veterans and survivors who disagree with VBA’s decision on a benefit claim. He also oversaw remands to VBA from the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) and had operational control of over 1,200 VBA employees.
Previously, Timothy served as the Deputy Director for VBA’s Insurance Service, and served as a principal advisor to the Deputy Under Secretary for Disability Assistance in providing oversight of VBA’s disability compensation, pension, fiduciary, and insurance programs. In so doing, his duties included national policy development and resolution of high visibility issues with congressional and external stakeholders, including legislation and regulatory initiatives pertaining to life insurance and disability benefits appeals. Timothy has also served as VBA’s Chief, Integrated Disability Evaluation System, with responsibility for policy and procedures governing VA’s and the Department of Defense’s (DoD) joint disability evaluation program for Servicemembers separating from military service as a result of disability.
Prior to joining VBA, Timothy served an Appellate Attorney for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Office of General Counsel, representing the agency before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
