UMBF UMB Financial Corporation

With the dramatic rise in health care costs over the past several years, many companies are frantically searching for options that will allow them to continue to offer employees good coverage at an affordable price. While this is an issue that affects all professions, one particular industry has recently stated this as one of their most challenging issues. The January 2008 issue of Reliable Plant Magazine cited a 2006 National Association of Manufacturers survey of small and medium manufacturers that indicated 87 percent of respondents ranked escalating health care costs as their most pressing problem. Additionally, 69 percent said they had to raise their employees� rates, and 28 percent said they would begin or increase health savings accounts (HSAs). Dennis Triplett, president of UMB Healthcare Services, a division of UMB Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: UMBF), provides the following statement: �More and more companies are struggling to provide quality options at affordable rates to their employees. HSAs are an excellent option for employers to consider and have really begun to gain momentum in the past 12-18 months. Not only do most provide preventive coverage below the deductible and lower premiums, they also encourage consumers to become more engaged in their health care decisions, which can result in overall decreased costs for the employer and employee. These points are especially significant in today�s sluggish economy as consumers and companies are looking for ways to address costs without sacrificing basic needs. "Additionally, HSAs have several other significant financial benefits�they can be used as tax-savings and long-term savings vehicles. The key for manufacturers is to effectively understand and educate employees on these benefits. Employees can use these accounts as an additional tax savings measure as well as another resource for future health care expenses. This provides employers with the �peace of mind� of offering their people quality, affordable health insurance.� Triplett is the board chairman of the HSA Leadership Council of America�s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a charter member of the American Bankers Association�s HSA Council, and most recently was appointed chairman of the board for the Employer�s Council on Flexible Spending (ECFC). Since the inception of Medical Savings Accounts in the late 1990s, UMB Healthcare Services has been a leader in the health care marketplace.�Today, UMB supports Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). UMB Healthcare Services was the first financial partner to provide multi-purpose card technology to the health care industry and recently developed a Healthcare Line of Credit product. UMB Healthcare Services has the experience, systems backbone, investment options and client base to bring an integrated solution to the health care industry. About UMB UMB Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: UMBF) is a multi-bank holding company headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., offering complete banking, asset management, health spending solutions and related financial services to both individual and business customers nationwide. Its banking subsidiaries own and operate 135 banking centers throughout Missouri, Illinois, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Arizona. Subsidiaries of the holding company and the lead bank, UMB Bank, n.a., include an investment services group based in Milwaukee, Wis., single-purpose companies that deal with brokerage services and insurance, and registered investment advisors for proprietary mutual funds.