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For people living with HIV/AIDS in North Carolina, the news just got a little better.

The House gave final approval to its version of the budget yesterday and it appears it agrees with the Senate on most issues. One item that has received a considerable amount of press coverage is the plan to increase the eligibility level of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) from 125% to 250% of the federal poverty line.

The Senate also raised the eligibility level in its version of the budget and it looks safe to say North Carolina will no longer have the lowest eligibility level in the country.

This is great news for the hundreds of low-income North Carolinians who for years have not qualified for the program. The national average is well above 300% of the federal poverty line and every one of our neighboring states has set its eligibility at 300% or higher.

Legislators deserve to be praised for raising the eligibility level, as does the media for covering the issue. Unfortunately, both have overlooked two critical facts.

First, raising the eligibility level without appropriating new funds is nothing more than a token gesture. The nearly 200 new people eligible for the program won’t receive the life-saving medications they need without funding from Raleigh or Washington.

Second, legislators could prevent new infections with a minimal investment in prevention programs. As it stands now, we spend nearly 8 times as much on treatment as we do on prevention.

Given the fact that the HIV Prevention Branch of the Division of Public Health only needs $3.3 million to fully fund its education, outreach, testing, and counseling programs, it’s disgraceful to think lawmakers couldn’t find room in their 19 billion dollar budget.

Any coverage of this issue should say just that.