Layna Cook Rush

Layna Cook Rush, shareholder in the Baton Rouge office, is a member of the Firm’s Data Protection, Privacy and Cybersecurity team,  Health Law Group, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional.

Ms. Rush practices in the Health Law Group, representing clients in both regulatory and litigation matters. She routinely advises clients on state and federal regulations that affect health care entities and represents clients before a wide variety of regulatory and licensing agencies.

Ms. Rush represents managed care organizations and third party payers in regulatory, compliance and operational issues. She has drafted and revised agreements between healthcare entities including provider agreements for participation in Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans.

She assists clients with developing policies and procedures that comply with federal legislation that impact managed care entities including ERISA, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, HIPAA, Part 2 Substance Abuse laws, and the Affordable Care Act. She is also a frequent speaker on the topic of health care regulation as it relates to insurers and health plans.

Ms. Rush has extensive experience in health care related litigation. She handles litigation involving ERISA benefit plans, Medicare Advantage and the Affordable Care Act. She has represented managed care entities in a wide variety of matters including contract disputes, denial of benefits cases and cases involving privacy challenges.

Ms. Rush routinely advises health care clients on state and federal laws related to privacy and security of personal information, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

She has assisted clients in the development of policies and procedures for compliance with HIPAA and state and federal laws related to privacy and security. She has counseled clients on the investigation of, and response to, potential privacy and security breaches.

EDUCATION:

• Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, J.D., 1999
• Louisiana State University, B.S., 1996, magna cum laude

ADMISSIONS:

• Louisiana, 1999
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Professional Honors & Activities:

• American Bar Association
• Baton Rouge Bar Association
• Executive Secretary – Louisiana Business Group on Health Board of Directors
• Louisiana Association of Health Plans
• Wex S. Malone Chapter of the American Inns of Court
• Member – International Association of Privacy Professionals (CIPP/US)

Community and Other Activities:

• Board of Directors – Environment and Health Council of Louisiana (2010 – present; President, 2013 – present)
• Board of Directors – March of Dimes Capital Area (2010 – 2016)
• Board of Directors – Charles W. Lamar YMCA (2011 – 2017)
• Board of Directors – Girls on the Run of Greater Baton Rouge (2012 – present)