The latest data from the federal government shows that nearly 2.5 million young adults have acquired medical insurance thanks to the healthcare reform law’s dependent coverage rule.

The rule mandates that medical plans extend benefits to participants children until they reach age 26.

A recent analysis of the rule’s impact by the National Center for Health Statistics shows that from September 2010 (when the law took effect) to June 2011, the percentage of adults age 19 to 25 with health insurance increased from 64% to 73%, translating into 2.5 million more individuals with coverage.

That’s two-and-a-half times more young adults who’ve obtained coverage than a prior analysis — which the feds released in September — had suggested.

The most recent analysis was the first to compare trends between the 19 to 25 age group and the 26 to 35 age group. It revealed that the percentage of those age 26 to 35 with medical coverage remained stable, while coverage among those in the younger group rose significantly.

The Department of Health and Human Services said in a release: “This comparison makes it clear that the increase in coverage among 19- to 25-year-olds can be directly attributed to the Affordable Care Act’s new dependent-coverage provision.”

Tags: Affordable Care Act, Department of Health and Human Services, dependent coverage, healthcare reform, mandate, rule