There are many ways to spend $1,000. One could buy a brand-new flat-screen television, play the lottery, or keep it in a savings account. For people trying to increase their capital, though, investing in stocks easily beats out all three of those options -- provided, of course, that investors can pick the right companies to invest in.

For those with $1,000 to spare, let's consider two healthcare stocks worth investing in and holding onto for a long time: Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) and HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA).

One key to success for biotech companies is to constantly develop novel therapies that are superior to the existing standards of care. Vertex has mastered this art. The drugmaker markets the only medicines that address the underlying genetic causes of cystic fibrosis (CF), a rare disease of the lungs. It isn't as though other companies haven't tried to crack this nut, but so far, all have failed.

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Source Fool.com