The minimum age to apply for Medicare is 65, and there is no exception listed for widows, according to the Social Security Administration. Any person who received social security disability insurance for 24 months is eligible for Medicare, widows included. This can start at age 50, says Social Security Hop.
The SSA counts each month that disability benefits were entitled in order to reach the 24 months. Months of separate disability periods may be added together if new disabilities begin within 60 months of the initial termination of benefits, within 84 months of the termination of a disabled widows benefits or if the current impairment is the same as or directly related to the original impairment.
