If you think you see aged National Football League stars wandering around the Medical Center in coming months, you may not be hallucinating. The NFL and NFL Player’s Association announced last month that Georgetown University Hospital would be one of 14 hospitals nationwide taking part in a new Joint Replacement Benefit Plan. This benefits plan is designed to provide joint replacement surgeries and rehabilitation to certain retired NFL players – regardless of their financial situation – if the surgery is deemed necessary by an orthopedic doctor who is approved by the program. Since the cause of arthritic issues can be difficult to pinpoint, the plan will cover all retired, qualifying players in need of joint replacement surgery whether or not their injuries were received while playing for the NFL. According to an NFL press release, these 14 hospitals were chosen for their “expertise, high-quality service and reputation,” and because they are spread all over the country. Players qualify for the program after playing at least three games per season for three years since 1992, four years for those who played between 1973 and 1992, and five years for those who played before 1973. Qualifying players without insurance will be provided with the surgery, rehabilitation services and hotel and travel expenses free of charge. For those qualifying players with insurance, the program will cover 20 percent of their surgical and rehabilitation expenses, up to $5,000. Most joint replacements cost around $25,000. Funding for the program will come from the NFL Player Care Foundation, which currently has $17 million to use for this program. Additional funds will be taken from donations and the nearly $2 million accrued every year in on-field penalty fees paid by players, which formerly was donated to charity. This new plan is one of several moves the newly founded NFL Alliance, consisting of the NFL, NFLPA, Hall of Fame and the NFL Alumni Association, is making in response to complaints from retired players concerning disability and pension issues. Last July, NFL Commissioner Gene Upshaw met with retired players to form a plan of action in response to these complaints. The Joint Replacement Benefits Plan is the first of their recommendations to be implemented. Repeated requests for comment from a representative at Georgetown University Hospital were not answered.