A dual eligible is an individual who receives both Medicare and Medicaid benefits.  Dually eligible people with disabilities usually receive Social Security and Medicare benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid benefits. (The Social Security benefits are usually Disability Insurance benefits or Disabled Adult Child benefits received due to the retirement, death, or disability of a parent).   Receiving both Medicare and Medicaid is why we refer to these individuals as dual eligibles.  Of the 6.4 million dual eligibles, an estimated 500,000 are people with developmental disabilities.