The Health Service Executive (HSE) planning an increase of more than 40% in the number of medical card reviews it carries out this year.

According to the Sunday Business Post, just under 644,900 review notices were issued to card holders last year.

Over 936,000 are planned for 2014, and officials insist only a small percentage of those reviews will result in someone losing a card.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald says the government is planning to look at the situation.

She told Newstalk's Sarah Carey that people have been upset over the centralising of the system.