A Long Island woman fighting a rare immune disorder that at times left her “catatonic” is suing insurers for refusing to cover lifesaving treatments.
Nadia Behr was a 28-year-old legal recruiter in Manhattan when she developed memory problems several years ago, the Manhattan Supreme Court filing says.
The medical issues mushroomed into epileptic seizures, involuntary movements, loss of balance and difficulty communicating, until Behr was eventually bedridden “and entirely dependent on the care of her parents,” court papers claim.
Behr, now 35, was diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis, a disorder in which the immune system attacks the brain.
She eventually came under the care of Dr. Souhel Najjar, who also diagnosed and treated Post reporter Susannah Cahalan for the condition. Cahalan wrote the 2012 bestseller, “Brain on Fire,” about her experience with autoimmune encephalitis.
Despite positive results for Behr from intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, insurer Empire Healthchoice HMO refused to cover the $125,000 tab, the Great Neck woman says in her suit.
Empire claimed the treatments were “not medically necessary” since steroids had also proven effective, ignoring concerns about side effects, the suit states.
Empire declined to comment.