No symptoms? Or no insurance? Here is what we know about the costs of a COVID test.

Let’s say you broke COVID-19 safety protocols recently, and got too close to someone outside your household bubble.

If you have symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus, your next steps are straightforward. Every agency, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the state to local health boards, say you should get tested, and most insurance companies will pay for the test.

What if you don’t have insurance? What if you feel fine, but you’re still afraid you could be contagious? Here the answers are a little muddier.

Where can I get a free test?

Massachusetts has set up Stop the Spread sites in 18 communities. These are characterized as “low-barrier” testing sites. As long as a person is a Massachusetts resident, it is completely free, and you don’t have to show symptoms or proof of insurance.

These sites have had long lines on at least some occasions, and lawmakers have complained of “testing deserts.” There are no testing sites on Cape Cod, for example, and much of Western Massachusetts is without access. Greater Milford is also without a Stop the Spread testing site, with the closest sites in Worcester or Framingham.

More:Line for Framingham's drive-thru COVID-19 test site stretched to MassPike on Monday

There are dozens of other testing sites around the state, in pharmacies, urgent care centers, and even grocery stores, but availability, cost, and access vary widely. Some of these offer free testing to people without insurance.

More:See the state's full list of testing sites here.

What is the difference between a rapid test and a PCR test?

The rapid test, also called an antigen test, is less sensitive and therefore less accurate, in general, than polymerase chain reaction tests, or the PCR test.

It is also less expensive, and returns results, as its nickname indicates, much more rapidly than the PCR test. The PCR test can take three days, while the rapid test can take as little as 15 minutes.

More:Some MetroWest towns turn to rapid testing to limit the spread of COVID-19

What is the out-of-pocket cost for each COVID test?

According to Walgreens and CVS, both of which offer testing sites, the laboratory cost for the test is $100, and extra charges can be applied for services performed on-site. As of Wednesday, Dec. 2, Walgreens’ website listed its additional charge as $29 and CVS listed a $39 extra charge for the PCR test.

The rapid test at Walgreens is listed at $49 total.

What if my child needs a COVID-19 test?

Call ahead. Not all testing centers test children. Milford Public Health Director Jacquelyn Murphy suggests calling your child’s pediatrician, if you have one.

Are there other barriers for COVID testing in MA?

There have also been issues when people who do not speak English fluently try to get tested, Murphy said.

“The other piece of the puzzle we’ve encountered is if people are not English speakers, sometimes there are different channels to navigate,” she said.

Milford has been reaching out to houses of worship to share testing site information, in an effort to reach people whose first language is not English, and is trying to bring one of the state’s Stop the Spread sites to town.

In general, calling ahead, to both the testing site and your insurance company – if you have one – is strongly recommended. COVID-19 information changes constantly and may vary among testing sites and insurance companies. Some sites require appointments, or won’t test a person if certain requirements are not met.

“It can definitely make your head spin,” Murphy said, of the differences between tests, sites, who can be tested, and how much it will cost.

Information from the State House News Service was used in this story.

Alison Bosma can be reached at 508-634-7582 or abosma@wickedlocal.com. Find her on Twitter at @AlisonBosma.