Peppermint Pet Insurance Review 2024

Peppermint offers coverage for unexpected illnesses and injuries, as well as preventive care, including:

• Exam fees
• Hospitalization
• Surgery
• Diagnostics
• Medication
• Nursing
• Prescription food (maximum of $75 per year).
• Specialist referral
• Medical devices
• Alternative therapies (all plans).
• Behavioural therapy (Base, Plus and Prime plans).
• Kennel fees for owner medical emergencies (all plans).
• Holiday trip cancellation fees (all plans).
• Lost pet advertising (all plans).
• Cremation or burial expenses for insured accident or illness (all plans).

Peppermint is available across Canada and while travelling in the U.S.

There are no extra coverage options.

Like all pet insurance companies, Peppermint does not cover pre-existing conditions, also called foreseeable conditions, defined as “any condition that starts or shows symptoms, with or without a confirmed diagnosis” prior to enrollment or within any applicable waiting periods.

However, if your policy contains an exclusion that your pet has since recovered from (also known as a temporary or curable exclusion) you can request that it be reviewed with the possibility of being removed from the policy if your pet has been symptom-free for six to 12 months.

In addition, Peppermint does not cover:

• Preventive or elective treatments, such as nail trims.
• Flea control
• Spay or neuter surgery
• Euthanasia unless recommended by your vet due to an insured accident or illness.

Pet insurance companies have what’s called a waiting period, which is the amount of time between enrollment and when your policy is effective. After that you can be reimbursed for claims.

With a Peppermint policy, there is a 48-hour waiting period for accidents and 14 days for illnesses and claims for behavioural therapy. There’s also a six-month waiting period for cruciate ligament injuries or intervertebral disc disease.

Maximum annual limit options

Lite: $1,500 per accident
Base: $3,000
Plus: $5,000
Prime: $10,000

Deductible options
$100 *

Reimbursement options
80% **

The Base, Plus and Prime Plans have per accident/per illness caps. For example, the $3,000 Base maximum coverage is $1,500 per accident, $1,500 per illness.

* An age-based deductible adjustment is applied to your policy as your pet gets older. Your $100 deductible increases to $200 at five years of age, to $400 at seven years of age and $500 at 10+ years. 

** As part of the company’s claims risk management process, Peppermint conducts a review of all policies every six months to assess the number and cost of claims made during the previous 24-month period. Your reimbursement percentage may be subject to change depending on the number of claims filed. So if you make a lot of expensive claims, your co-insurance may change to between 70% and 50%.

Peppermint does not offer any discounts.

Launched in 2018 by Petline Insurance Company, the first and only licensed insurance company in Canada to focus solely on pet health insurance, Winnipeg-based Peppermint helps budget-conscious pet owners protect their pets.

Peppermint does not have any external partnerships.

To find the best pet insurance we reviewed each company’s policy wording and used data provided by PetInsurer.com to score each pet insurance company based on the following:

Pet insurance rates: 40% of score. We calculated average rates for plans with $5,000 or unlimited coverage, a $100 deductible and an 80% reimbursement level, or the closest options available.

Special waiting period: 10% of score. Many pet insurance companies have a special waiting period for problems such as cruciate ligament issues and hip dysplasia. Plans that had no waiting period, a waiting period of six months or less, or the ability to have the waiting period waived scored higher.

Direct payment to vet: 10% of score. Pet insurance companies that have the ability to pay a vet directly earned points.

24/7 vet health line: 10% of score. Insurers that provide access to a 24/7 vet health line scored in this category.

Routine wellness plans: 10% of score. Insurers that offer wellness plans, either included with a plan or as a rider, earned points.

Dental illness coverage: 10% of score. While most insurers cover dental accidents, not all insurers cover dental illnesses, such as gum disease or cleanings. Plans with more extensive dental coverage scored higher.

Pet ownership assistance: 5% of score. Insurers that include coverage for pet owner expenses, such as advertising and reward for lost pets, boarding for medical emergencies, end of life expenses and/or vacation cancellation, scored in this category.

Any discount: 5% of score. Insurers that offer any kind of discount, including a multi-pet discount, healthy pet discount, loyalty discount, etc., earned points.