UMB Healthcare Services said Wednesday its health savings account balances grew 55 percent in the past year, reaching $615 million as of Jan. 31.

The number of HSAs also grew to nearly 320,000 individual accounts, up from the 220,000 following open enrollment last year, the company, a subsidiary of Kansas City-based UMB Financial Corp., said.

"Our HSA growth continues to reflect the trend we are seeing nationwide as more individuals and employers move toward consumer-directed health accounts," UMB Healthcare CEO Dennis Triplett said in a statement. "We are now challenged with educating the growing number of employers and account holders on all that these accounts can offer toward future financial stability, beyond day-to-day health care expenses."