The HSE's centralised medical card unit is to seek cooperation with the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social Protection in order to improve assessment processes for medical cards.
In documentation supplied to the Public Accounts Committee, the HSE said it had agreed with the Minister for Health that an "interface" with Revenue is required to manage and operate the medical card system.
It says details of factors, including income and employment changes, would support their assessment processes.
This would allow them to prove eligibility having used what they called "supporting checks" to manage the risk.
They said that without such a link, they would either have to seek information from the applicant or provide eligibility on a high-risk basis.
The document says that the Minister has agreed to support speedy implementation of interface with the Revenue and the Department of Social Protection.
In the meantime, the HSE has introduced streamlining measures including some self-assessment.
The unit anticipates issuing 100,000 new medical cards in 2012 and is currently issuing 4,000 cards on average per day.
Between July and December 2011 it processed 344,668 reviews and applications.
