(e) The contracting officer shall, when contracting by negotiation, use the following clauses.

(1) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 852.216-71, “Economic Price Adjustment of Contract Price(s) Based on a Price Index,” in solicitations and firm fixed price contracts, subject to FAR 16.203-4(d)(1) and when changes to a price index will be used to calculate corresponding changes to the total contract price or unit prices of the contract.

(i) Exceptions:

(A) Do not use this clause when changes to the price index will apply to only a component part of the contract price.

(B) Do not publish or include the footnotes in the solicitation, they are only included herein to provide guidance to contracting officers.

(2) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 852.216-72, “Proportional Economic Price Adjustment of Contract Price(s) Based on a Price Index,” in solicitations and firm fixed price contracts, and subject to FAR 16.203-4(d)(1) when changes to an industry price index shall be used to calculate changes to only a portion of the contract price or the unit prices of the contract.

(i) Exceptions:

(A) The clause should not be used when a change in the index price will be applied directly and totally to the contract price or the unit prices, i.e., when the Consumer Price Index is used to calculate changes and a 5% increase in the CPI would result in a 5% increase in the total contract price of the unit prices.

(B) Do not publish or include the footnotes in the solicitation, as they are only provided for guidance to the contracting officer.

(3) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 852.216-73, “Economic Price Adjustment - State Nursing Home Care for Veterans,” in solicitations and firm fixed price contracts subject to FAR 16.203-4(d)(1) and the following circumstance: When changes to the Medicaid rate, as authorized by the State Medicaid Agency (SMA), shall be used to calculate corresponding changes in the total contract price or the per diem prices of the agreement or contract.

(4) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 852.216-74, “Economic Price Adjustment - Medicaid Labor Rates,” in solicitations and firm fixed price contracts when the conditions specified in FAR 16.203-4(c)(1) apply. The clause is modifiable by increasing the 10-percent maximum limit on aggregate increases specified in paragraph (c)(4) of this section, upon the approval by the Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA) or designee.

(5) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 852.216-75, “Economic Price Adjustment - Fuel Surcharge,” in solicitations and firm fixed price contracts when contracting by negotiation is subject to changes in the cost of fuel increases. The clause is subject to the conditions at FAR 16.203-4(d)(1).

(f) The contracting officer shall follow procedures as prescribed in FAR 16.203-4(c) and 38 CFR 51.41(b)

(1) for EPA fixed price contracts based on Medicaid rates. These procedures shall be used when contracting by negotiation between the VA and the State Veteran Home for making payments under contracts for nursing home care for Veterans.